Provincial police found the body of a boater on Sunday who died in a Saturday canoeing incident in Georgian Bay Township. According to the OPP, Bracebridge detachment officers responded to a report just after 8 p.m. that a canoe had capsized on Stewart Lake. Police say the two boaters were nearly 40 feet away from shore when their canoe overturned. While one of them was rescued by a passing boater, police confirm that the other went underwater and did not resurface. Bracebridge OPP officers, the OPP Underwater Search and Rescue Recovery Unit, Muskoka Lakes firefighters, and other first responders were involved in the response and search that followed. On Sunday, the OPP confirmed that the missing boater, a 31-year-old from Mississauga, was found dead. The ongoing investigation is being led by the Officer of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Bracebridge OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers. “The OPP reminds all boaters and paddlers to make water safety a priority by wearing a properly fitted lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD), checking weather conditions before heading out, and ensuring all required safety equipment is readily available,” urged Central Region Sgt. Joe Brisebois in a news release.
