Scarborough man dead following suspected drowning in Bancroft-area lake: police

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

An investigation is underway after a man from Scarborough reportedly drowned in a body of water in the Bancroft area earlier this week.

The incident happened on Faraday Lake, which about 115 kilometres northeast of Peterborough.

Ontario Provincial Police’s Bancroft Detachment said they were dispatched to that area shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Monday for reports of a capsized canoe.

“When emergency crews arrived on scene there was one occupant of the canoe that was unaccounted for. Two other males had safely made it to shore,” the OPP said in a news release.

They said that the force’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit later found a body and confirmed it to be the canoe’s third occupant.

At this point, the victim is only being identified as a 19-year-old male from Scarborough.

Police said he wasn’t wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.

“The water is still very cold making it more challenging if you fall in,” the OPP said.

“The OPP calls on everyone to ALWAYS wear a PFD or life jacket when on the water.“