Body of teen boy recovered from Lake Ontario at Ashbridges Bay
A 14-year-old Toronto boy has died after he disappeared under water at Ashbridges Bay, police said.
Police recovered the teenager's body on Monday morning, acting duty inspector Dan Parvica said at a news conference on Monday.
The boy was swimming at Ashbridges Bay with his friend on Sunday, Parvica said, when they both struggled to get out of the water.
His friend got out of the water safely and alerted others nearby, police said. A man who was walking by with his wife jumped in the water to help rescue the boy but was unsuccessful, he said.
Emergency services were initially called to the east-end bay around 6 p.m. Sunday, with the search for the boy beginning Sunday evening. His body was recovered around 9 a.m. on Monday, Parvica said.
He said there is a "steep drop-off" in the area where the boy had been swimming, though it is unclear what exactly caused his distress.
The 14-year-old boy's body was recovered on Monday morning close to where he disappeared at Ashbridges Bay on Sunday evening, acting duty inspector Dan Parvica said on Monday. (Paul Smith/CBC)
As summer approaches, police said the teenager's death is a "sombre reminder" of the importance of water safety.
Although temperatures are getting warmer, the water remains cold for most of the year, Parvica said.
"Lake Ontario's a very big body of water," he said. "The temperature is a lot colder here than in a smaller lake or a swimming pool."
The boy was found near where he was last seen going under water. He was not wearing a life jacket, Parvica said.
Teen boys were like 'brothers'
The father of the boy who tried to help his friend said he warned his son to not go into the water on Sunday, after he told his father of plans to go to Woodbine Beach.
Idris Halai said the boys had helped each other study at a library earlier on Sunday. They lived in the same building and had known each other since 2019.
"He was more than a friend," Halai said. "He was like his brother."
His son, who is also 14, was taken to SickKids hospital on Sunday evening to check his vital signs and see if he needed any counselling. He is now at home, Halai said.
He called the boy's death an "accident" and said his parents are in shock.
"The wrong place, the wrong time," he said.