(ST.MARYS, ON) On Sunday January 13, 2013, shortly before 2 p.m., Perth County OPP officers received a call from a concerned citizen advising that two boats with children on board were travelling up the Thames River in rough water.
Officers attended along the river in the area of “The Flats†and Water St. N. in St.Marys where the two boats were observed. The two boat operators, realizing that the waters were too rough brought their boats safely to shore. The two 31 year old male operators, one from Stratford, the other from St.Marys were spoken to about the danger they had placed their passengers in. One of the passengers was a 28 year old female while the other three passengers were children aged two, five and eight.
The St.Marys Fire Department and Perth County Ambulance, who had initially been dispatched, were cancelled by police as the situation was resolved.
The Perth County OPP is continuing to remind parents to ensure their children stay away from local streams, rivers, lakes and ponds as the rapid snow and ice melt has raised water levels, increased currents, and has made them dangerous locations to be near.