Drowning at Sudbury beach claims life of 24-year-old man

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Man drowns, another hospitalized after inflatable kayak capsizes in Sudbury

Raw video of Onaping River rescue

Police, firefighters and paramedics rushed to Moonlight Beach, one of Greater Sudbury’s most popular beaches, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday following reports of a drowning. A 24-year-old man tragically lost his life, while a 27-year-old man was transported to hospital in stable condition after a near-drowning incident.

Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell commended the swift response of emergency crews, stating, “They (firefighters) were at the beach with the boat in the water in just around eight minutes, and they had the best opportunity to get to the individuals, get our water rescuers into the water and help get those individuals out of the water.”

He added, “I know that we started performing lifesaving actions and got them transported to paramedic services who were there and waiting.”

Timely dispatch and rescue efforts

Oshell confirmed that fire services were alerted at approximately 5:30 p.m. on July 19, dispatching one boat from the Long Lake area and another from the Moonlight water station to the scene. Despite the rapid response, the outcome, he told CTV News, was devastating.

“With a community such as ours, we have 330-plus beautiful lakes within our community, and we will respond to all of them,” Oshell said. “Certainly, it is a matter of travel time to get to those lakes. That is why it is so important that individuals exercise caution.”

Inflatable kayak capsizes 300 meters from shore

Police reported that the two individuals were believed to be using an inflatable kayak when it capsized approximately 300 meters from shore. The 27-year-old man was alert and conscious when pulled from the water, but the 24-year-old was unconscious upon reaching shore. Firefighters immediately initiated lifesaving measures, but the young man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lifesaving Society warns of unintended drowning risks

Stephanie Bakalar, a senior officer at the Lifesaving Society of Ontario, emphasized that many drownings occur unexpectedly.

“A lot of drownings actually happen when the person doesn’t intend to get into the water,” she said. “This could be a fall from the dock, or, you know, you’re walking along the beaches and, it could be that you are boating and you’re not wearing a life jacket.”

The tragic incident occurred just as the Lifesaving Society’s National Drowning Prevention Week was about to kick off, an annual awareness event that runs from July 20 to July 26 this year.

Importance of life jackets and swimming with others

Bakalar highlighted common factors in drowning incidents, stating, “We’ve seen a lot of drownings happening when people are swimming alone. A lot of people who aren’t wearing life jackets when they’re boating.”

Echoing her concerns, Oshell noted, “When fire services responds to some of these incidents, you know, one of the things that we see most common, especially around water rescue incidents, is those PFDs, those lifejackets, and they’re not worn.”

‘Safer Together’: A call for vigilance

Bakalar urged swimmers to take precautions, including wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) and swimming with experienced companions. This aligns with this year’s National Drowning Prevention Week theme, ‘Safer Together.’

“Only 1% of drownings happen in lifeguard-supervised settings,” she said. “So, this is by far the best place to swim.”

Oshell acknowledged that Sudbury’s natural bodies of water are generally safe but stressed the importance of vigilance.

“Taking precautions is very important,” he said.