Ottawa man dies after falling into the St. Lawrence River
Was underwater for 9 minutes after falling off boat, police say
An Ottawa man has died after falling into the St. Lawrence River near Gananoque, Ont., according to Ontario Provincial Police.
In a news release Sunday, OPP said their officers got a call just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday that someone had fallen out of a stationary boat on the river.
The 20-year-old man likely did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket, according to a police spokesperson.
Other people on the boat tried to rescue him, OPP said. The man ended up being underwater for nine minutes before being brought to the surface.
First responders tried to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they would not release the man's identity. Their investigation is ongoing.
Gananoque is around 30 kilometres northeast of downtown Kingston, Ont.