Teen dead, another missing after falling through ice in Ottawa amid spate of similar incidents across Canada

OTTAWA -

A teenager is dead and another is still missing after four youths fell through the ice on the Rideau River in Ottawa's south end late Wednesday.

Police said emergency crews responded to a call about four teens falling into the river from Nicolls Island Road at 9:45 p.m. Police reported earlier that the first call came in at roughly 11:45 p.m., but later clarified that was a mistake.

They said two of the teenagers were immediately rescued from the water and were taken to hospital by paramedics, while a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old boy were still missing and believed to be in the water.

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Police said a rescue operation took place in "very difficult conditions," and included a surface and water search.

Police divers later recovered the body of one of the missing teenagers.

CTV News Ottawa confirmed the name of the second missing teen as Riley Cotter.

The search for Cotter was paused overnight. A spokesperson for the Ottawa Police Service said its marine, dive and trails team would pursue search efforts in the afternoon.

Three marked police vehicles were parked near the Long Island Locks of the Rideau Canal on a rainy Thursday morning, as milder-than-average temperatures persist in Ottawa.

Yellow police tape was wrapped around the locks near the river, where a thin layer of ice appeared to extend outward from the shore, met by open water.

Police also taped off an area near the shoreline.

Nearby, a black SUV was parked and blocked off with tape. The licence plates on the front and back of the vehicle were covered.

Asked for more details, the police spokesperson said more information was not being shared because it remains an ongoing police operation.

"We have offered supports to the loved ones of the youths," an earlier police statement read. "This tragedy affects us all."

The search for the missing teen comes amid a spate of similar incidents across the country.

RCMP in Alberta confirmed this week that a family of three died after falling through thin ice while riding their UTV in the lead-up to Christmas.

The Mounties also said a man died after falling through ice near Calgary on Christmas Day.

Last month, the RCMP in Saskatchewan reported that two girls fell through ice on a lake. One of them died, along with two men who were attempting a rescue.

And in Quebec this week, provincial police said the search for a four-year-old girl who fell into a river last week is now being considered a recovery operation rather than a rescue mission.

After the Prairies deaths, Mounties were reminding outdoor enthusiasts that ice should be at least 15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on it.

The thickness should be at least 20 centimetres for a group of people and 25 centimetres for the use of a snowmobile or off-road vehicle.

Asked on Thursday whether Ottawa police had any message to the public about safety around ice, the spokesperson said the service's website points to advice from the Canadian Red Cross.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023.

-- With files from Maan Alhmidi in Toronto and CTV News Ottawa