SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING SWIMMER
(BAYFIELD, ON) Huron Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has continued the search for a swimmer that went missing after jumping from a pleasure boat south of Bayfield yesterday.
Shortly before 4:00pm on September 2, 2012, a group of passengers were on board a 30 foot pleasure craft on Lake Huron approximately 8 kilometres south of Bayfield. The boat operator, a 53 year old male from Atwood and a 62 year old male from North Perth jumped into the water for a swim. Neither was wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). The waves and wind quickly separated the pair from the boat and they were unable to swim back. The boat operator was unable to reach the boat and slipped beneath the surface. The second male was pulled on board but not before he was struck by the pitching vessel and ingested a considerable amount of water. He was taken to hospital in Clinton with serious but non-life threatening injuries. His current condition is not known.
An aerial, water, and shoreline search for the missing man continued until dark and resumed this morning.
Before dawn this morning, officers using ATV’s commenced a search of the shoreline. As many as three OPP vessels will continue searching the waters of Lake Huron. The OPP Provincial Underwater Search and Recovery Unit from Orillia are responding to Bayfield and will be assisting in the search. They are expected to arrive later this morning. An OPP helicopter has been summoned and expected to arrive after assisting with other investigations in the Province. The helicopter from RCC Trenton has returned to base.
The names of those involved will not be released at this time.
The investigation is continuing.
