Four swimmers were rescued Monday off Port Stanley’s main beach, just a day after a 14-year-old London boy went missing at the same Lake Erie beach.
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Two young swimmers – a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old from Belmont – were reported in distress in the water and two adults, one from London and one from Belmont, went into the water to help but also struggled in the waves, Ontario Provincial Police reported Tuesday.
Central Elgin Fire Services pulled all four from the water, including the 34-year-old from London and the 42-year-old from Belmont. No serious injuries were reported, but three of the people were taken to hospital as a precaution.
Police underlined the close call with a reminder to always be vigilant about safety in the water.
“The OPP wants to remind the public to educate themselves on the potential dangers associated with water activities, ensure you are familiar with the unique risks associated to the body of water you are entering and take adequate precautions to protect yourself, such as wearing a personal floatation device,” the OPP said.
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Sunday, a 14-year-old Londoner, identified by his family as Omar, disappeared in Erie’s waters off the same beach in Port Stanley, with police still searching for his body.
A popular summer hotspot, Port Stanley – with a big main beach, and a smaller family-friendly beach – draws visitors from across the region and beyond.
It’s believed the last drowning at Port Stanley’s main beach was in July 2016. Ingersoll native William Johnston, 18, drownedbut lifeguards managed to save a woman he was with at the beach.
Johnston’s drowning was the first at the main beach since August 2004, when eight-year-old Mitchell Temple-Medhurst went under during a supervised outing with other children from Madame Vanier Children’s Services in London.
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