Coroner to review drownings
News
Posted By RAYMOND BOWE, BARRIE EXAMINER
Updated 1 month ago
A provincial coroner will review a spate of drowning deaths that occurred in Ontario between May and July.
Acting chief coroner Dr. Bert Lauwers made the announcement on Thursday. The purpose of the review, he said, is to identify common factors that may have played a role in the deaths, as well as possible recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
The results of the review are expected to be published later this year.
In the meantime, Dr. Lauwers provided some commonsense safety tips for people to avoid becoming a victim. They include learning to swim, which he called "a basic life skill that everyone should be taught regardless of age," as well as wearing a life-jacket or personal flotation device even if you're a strong swimmer, because fatigue can set in quickly.
Adults are also reminded to closely supervise children at all times during water activities, because drownings can happen quietly and quickly.
rbowe@thebarrieexaminer.com
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DEATH ON WATER
July 27, 2010 -- A 53-year-old Penetanguishene man dies following an incident at Lafontaine Beach in Tiny Township. The man was pulled from Nottawasaga Bay without vital signs. The autopsy determined the death was caused by a medical condition and not drowning, police said.
July 25, 2010 -- The body of an Orangeville kayaker is recovered from Nottawasaga Bay near 18th Street in Wasaga Beach. Allan Swan Jr., 43, had been missing for more than five weeks. Swan had left his parents' Collingwood home around midnight on June 18, intending to kayak to Wasaga Beach. Autopsy results pending.
July 10, 2010 -- A 31-year-old Toronto man drowns in the Nottawasaga River after attempting to retrieve a ball. His body was located underwater near Beach Area No. 1 about a half-hour later. He was pronounced dead at Collingwood hospital.
July 7, 2010 -- A 59-year-old Toronto woman dies after wading into Carthew Bay on Lake Simcoe, between the 13th and 14th lines of Oro-Medonte Township, south of Orillia. Paramedics administered CPR at the Shoreline Drive residence, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A resident said the woman had waded into the shallow water during the lunch hour.
July 6, 2010 -- A 13-year-old boy dies after showing signs of distress in the Bradford family's Fletcher Street swimming pool. The boy was swimming around 8:30 p.m., when he was pulled out. A family member and a responding South Simcoe police officer performed CPR, but the boy later died at Southlake hospital in Newmarket. Police say the boy's family was on the deck and the teenager was swimming with his younger brother when the incident occurred.
June 17, 2010 -- Two Christian Island men, aged 21 and 26, drown and another makes it safely to shore after the 14-foot aluminum boat they were fishing from capsizes in rough water off Cedar Point in northern Tiny Township. The boat sunk in as much as 150 feet of water.
April 27, 2010 -- A 17-year-old from Barrie dies from hypothermia after he falls into Ralph Bice Lake in Algonquin Park while on a fishing trip with his uncle and his uncle's friend. Police said the boat flipped when two of the occupants tried to reach for a hat in the water at the same time.
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