Nova Scotia

Divers recover body of man who drowned at Chocolate Lake in Halifax

The 28-year-old Toronto man went missing Sunday in Chocolate Lake. He was last seen swimming with an inflatable pool toy.

Toronto man, 28, last seen Sunday swimming with inflatable pool toy

RCMP divers prepare to go into the water at Chocolate Lake Monday morning. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

RCMP divers have recovered the body of a 28-year-old man who went missing in Chocolate Lake Sunday.

The man who drowned was visiting Halifax from Toronto, according to Halifax Regional Police.  

Emergency crews were called to the Halifax lake Sunday evening to look for a missing swimmer.

It only took RCMP divers a few hours to find the body of a 28-year-old man in Chocolate Lake on Monday. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

Halifax Fire boats and drones were used in the search, along with an RCMP dive team.

The name of the swimmer has not yet been released, but police said his family has been notified.

The man's body was recovered at about noon Monday.

Police removed an inflatable toy from the lake Sunday evening. It's unclear if this was the item the man was using before he ended up underwater. (Gabrielle Fahmy/CBC)

Witnesses said the man was last seen around 6:30 p.m. Sunday swimming with a woman, using a large inflatable pool toy.

Other swimmers tried to locate the man, and assisted police in forming a cordon around the area where he was last seen near the centre of the lake.

The search began shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday behind the Best Western Chocolate Lake Hotel.

Chocolate Lake is closed to swimming until emergency crews finish their work. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

At 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Halifax Fire division commander Chuck Bezanson said the fire searchers were standing down and the scene would be turned over to Halifax police.

He said some fire support such as the drone team and fire boats would be kept at the scene to assist.

Halifax Fire and Halifax Regional Police search for a missing male at Chocolate Lake Sunday. (Preston Mulligan/CBC)

The beach has been closed until emergency crews finish their work.

Observers from the beach area of Chocolate Lake watch search efforts from the shore on Sunday. (Jenny Cowley/CBC)

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