Body of 49-year-old man who saved son recovered from central Alta. lake
The body of a 49-year-old man in a central Alberta lake was recovered on Thursday.
The man was trying to rescue his nine-year-old child when he disappeared underwater at Wizard Lake, approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Edmonton, just before 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, RCMP said.
A medical examiner arrived on scene around 12 p.m. Thursday, following a search led by Fish & Wildlife Conservation officers, Leduc County Fire & Rescue, and the RCMP underwater recovery team.
The child was rescued by the man, according to police.
Witness Perry Pawliuk said he noticed the search at Wizard Lake Wednesday night.
“There were two or three boats dredging the water, so we figured that there was something bad,” said Pawliuk. “Unfortunately (he) saved one life, but not his own.”
Prior to Wednesday evening’s incident, Alberta RCMP say they have responded to 14 drownings so far in 2021.
Police say the recent hot weather has Albertans flocking to lakes and rivers to enjoy recreational water activities such as tubing, paddle boarding, and swimming.
The Lifesaving Society, an organization that works to prevent drowning and water-related injuries, says the province has seen twice as many drownings compared to this time last year.
The number of drownings in 2020 were also up by 50 per cent compared to 2019. Experts from the Lifesaving Society in Alberta say those numbers could be a consequence of the COIVD-19 pandemic, as people gravitated toward unsupervised natural areas to swim while public pools were closed.
RCMP say open water is very different than swimming in a pool as distance can be deceiving, and you often must contend with cold water, waves, currents, and other unpredictable conditions.
Correction
On Wednesday, the RCMP said the child is three years old. However, a day later, it issued a correction to say the child is nine years old.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.