(THUNDER BAY, ON) On Saturday, August 17 2013 at 5:26 pm, officers from the Thunder Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call about a possible drowning in the area of the Silver Harbour boat launch on Lake Superior in the Municipality of Shuniah.
Police attended the location and were advised that two persons, Kevin SPADE, 32 years of age from the community of Sioux Lookout, and Marlene FOX, 26 years of age from the First Nations community of Big Trout Lake, had jumped from a cliff in the area and began having difficulty trying to exit the water due to wave action on the lake.
Two males on personal watercraft assisted and located the female and brought her to shore where ambulance transported her to the hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on Sunday evening in hospital. The male was not located and Shuniah Fire Department along with Thunder Bay Fire, Canadian Coast Guard and OPP members began searching the area.
OPP divers are on scene today (19 August) to begin searching the water for the second suspected victim.
Also, on Saturday August 17 at 7:12 pm, Thunder Bay OPP received a call about a possible drowning on the Kaministiqua River in the area of Forbes River Road. Police attended and learned that a canoe with two adult males and two children had capsized in the river and one of the adult males, Jordan DESFOSSES, 31 years of age from Peace River Alberta, had not made it to shore. He had not been wearing a life jacket.
OPP responded with Emergency Response Team (ERT) members and a Marine Unit and began searching the river area. OPP continued to search through Sunday with negative results.
OPP divers are hoping to attend the Forbes River area today (19 August) to begin their efforts for recovery.