Search continues for London boater missing in Lake Erie

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Search continues for London boater missing in Lake Erie

OPP search and rescue teams continued the hunt Monday for a 64-year-old Londoner who disappeared in Lake Erie while swimming several kilometers from shore.

Posted Sep 04, 2023 • 1 minute read

Members of Central Elgin fire and emergency services head out of Port Stanley harbor in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to join the search for a missing boater in Lake Erie on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. A 64-year-old from London disappeared in the lake on Aug. 31 while taking a swim from a sailboat that had anchored. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
Members of Central Elgin fire and emergency services head out of Port Stanley harbor in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to join the search for a missing boater in Lake Erie on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. A 64-year-old from London disappeared in the lake on Aug. 31 while taking a swim from a sailboat that had anchored. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

OPP search and rescue teams continued the hunt Monday for a 64-year-old Londoner who disappeared in Lake Erie while swimming several kilometers from shore.

OPP divers and marine units were searching in the lake off the shore of Port Stanley and to the east of the beach town for the boater, who was a passenger on a 7.5-metre sailboat and was reported missing by its operator at about 3:45 pm on Aug. 31.

The identity of the missing boater has not been released but police say family has been notified.

Charlie Gall of St. Thomas has been monitoring the search and said police appeared to be concentrating Monday in an area three to six kilometers from shore and to the east near Hawk Cliff.

“They have been out every day since Thursday afternoon,” he said. “They have been working hard from sunrise to sunset.”

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On Sunday, Elgin OPP Const. Brett Phair, while out assisting with the search, said Port Stanley visitors and residents could expect to see an increased police presence in the Lake Erie village as the search continued.

“Our condolences go out to the family and we are making every effort to try to locate the missing party,” he said in a video posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Phair also stressed the importance of always wearing lifejackets when out on the water.

“They save lives, because you never know how quickly conditions can arise and it’s crucial that you have all your safety equipment available.”

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  1. An OPP boat returns to shore past the light of Port Stanley harbor on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, during a search for a 64-year-old from London who went missing in Lake Erie while swimming from a boat Thursday afternoon. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

    Police search Lake Erie for missing Londoner who went for swim from boat

  2. The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is involved in the search for a missing boater in Port Stanley south of London, Ont. Photograph taken on Sunday September 3, 2023. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

    Search for London boater missing in Lake Erie hits three-day mark

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