Distressed diver rescued from Lake Simcoe

Emergency crews perform a water rescue operation in Oro-Medonte Twp., Ont., on Sun., March 8, 2026. (Source: Roree Payment/X)

Emergency crews responded to a diver in distress on Lake Simcoe on Saturday near Oro-Medonte.

In a social media post by Roree Payment, the township’s deputy fire chief, he reported that multiple units helped remove a diver in distress and that he was rescued by fellow divers.

Payment told CTV News that they had received a call just before 1:30 p.m. about a diver who was vital signs absent (VSA), prompting crews to be dispatched to an area near Line 2 South.

The male diver was removed from the ice by fellow divers and had a pulse once emergency crews had arrived to the scene. A total of 20 firefighters were involved in the response, which also included the township’s marine unit and inflatable rescue raft.

The patient was taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, where Payment confirmed he was in stable condition.