Boater charged after crashing into and ‘seriously’ injuring swimmer: OPP

Ontario Provincial Police marine unit (OPP_CR/Twitter)

Provincial police are investigating a boat crash in Muskoka Lakes Township on Saturday that resulted in a boater getting charged and a swimmer getting hospitalized.

According to Bracebridge OPP, officers and emergency services received several calls just before 5 p.m. about a collision on Skeleton Lake near Skeleton Lake Road 5.

The callers reported that a boat crashed into a swimmer and people on shore managed to bring the swimmer out of the water.

Police say emergency services responded quickly to the scene and the 22-year-old male swimmer from Georgina was eventually airlifted to a Toronto hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Officers then located and arrested the boater, a 39-year-old man from Niagara Falls. He was charged with impaired operation causing bodily harm, failing to stop at an accident causing bodily harm, refusing to comply with a demand, and failing to comply with a release order.

The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing on Sunday.

“Impaired driving continues to be a significant factor affecting the safety of Muskoka roads,” repeated Const. Samantha Bigley from Bracebridge OPP in a media release. “If you suspect someone is driving a vehicle of any kind while impaired, please call 9-1-1.”

Perpetrators face the same fines for impaired boating as they do for impaired driving.