Teen drowns in Rideau River near Manotick park

A teenager drowned after being reported missing in the Rideau River in south Ottawa Monday night.

Ottawa firefighters were called to the area of Walter Upton-Collins Park in Manotick around 9:20 p.m. It was reported that three people went swimming and only two emerged from the water, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said in a post on X Tuesday morning.

A search and rescue boat was launched around 9:45 p.m, OFS said.

"We could see the flashing lights in the park," said Michel Strittmatter, who lives near the river. "There were a lot of flashlights being pointed into the water."

OFS said the teen was found, brought ashore and transferred to Ottawa paramedics. Paramedics said the teenager was in cardiac arrest when he was brought to the surface and was taken to hospital.

Ottawa police confirmed Tuesday he died in hospital.

The victim was an 18-year-old male who was swimming with two other teenagers, police said. They have not released the victim's name, but did thank people living nearby who stepped in to help the rescue efforts.

Sanjeev Sharma said he rushed to the river to help search for the missing swimmer after two boys in bathing suits knocked frantically on his back door.

"I kept going down to the bottom trying to see, it was very dark," said Sharma.

Both Sharma and Strittmatter said the drowning reminded them of the deaths of two teenagers who fell through the ice nearby in late 2023.