Winnipegger, Ontario man dead after separate drownings in southern Manitoba

Two men are dead after separate drownings in southern Manitoba over the weekend, RCMP say. 

One of the deaths happened at Grand Beach. RCMP said they were dispatched to the provincial park about 80 kilometres north of Winnipeg at around 8 p.m. on Saturday. 

Police were told two males had gone out to the lake on a pool floatation device when they lost balance and fell into the water.

While one of them was rescued by a nearby kayaker, the other one didn't resurface, RCMP said. 

The underwater team found a 25-year-old man from Winnipeg in the water who was pronounced dead. 

Tyler Freeman, manager of protective services at the Rural Municipality of St. Clements — who were also dispatched to Grand Beach — said the drowning is a "very sad and tragic" incident that "unfortunately is not uncommon" at the department. 

"Water is dangerous, whether you're a good swimmer or not, there are scenarios that turn … scary and unpredictable," he said. 

The man who drowned was out too far from the shore on a floatation device after he crossed a rope set on the lake to limit where swimmers should stay, Freeman said. 

In light of the death he is advising swimmers to respect those boundaries as markers are installed for their safety. 

"There's going to be wind to take you out too far and there could be current, undercurrents … the further you go out, the more of a struggle it's going to be to get back," he said. 

Rhonda Funk, a seasonal camper at Grand Beach, said she heard the sound of sirens just after 8 p.m.

She said she can't swim, and the drowning is a "heartbreaking" reminder of the importance of water safety — both for herself and her children. 

"Just be aware of your limits. Don't be ashamed to wear a lifejacket if you have to … and look out for the people around you. It's not just you in the water," Funk said. 

She said she would like to see lifejackets be publicly available for swimmers at bodies of water across the province.

Earlier on Saturday, Mounties were dispatched at around 2 p.m. on Saturday to the Rural Municipality of Reynolds after receiving reports that a person might have drowned at Reynolds Ponds, which is about 65 kilometres east of Winnipeg. 

Police were told a man had been swimming when suddenly he didn't resurface. While bystanders had tried to search for him, they couldn't find him.

The RCMP's underwater recovery team was called in to help with search efforts.

A 70-year-old man from Ontario was later found dead, RCMP said. 

RCMP communications officer Michelle Lissel said the drownings were "two extremely tragic incidents on Saturday at the start of a long weekend."

Lissel said lifejackets can prevent drowning deaths. Neither swimmer was wearing one when their bodies were found. 

"People may believe they're strong swimmers, but with the sun and if you're out for a long period of time, you just never know what can happen," Lissel said.  

"Tragedy can happen anywhere and at any time," she said.  

RCMP said they continue to investigate both drownings at this time.

So far this year, Manitoba RCMP have issued public releases on seven drownings. CBC News has reached out to the Manitoba Lifesaving Society for more information about the total number of drowning deaths in the province this year.