Bracebridge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to ask members of the public who will be enjoying the waterways to be diligent about safety.
On May 10, 2024 at 11:20 a.m., Bracebridge OPP officers responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding a canoe with four people on board capsized in the Muskoka River near Holditch Street in Bracebridge. All four people, two adults and two children, aged 9 and 10 years-old, entered the water. Fortunately, the children were wearing life-jackets in the frigid water and all four individuals made it to shore where they were assessed by Muskoka Paramedics Services.
One adult was transported to hospital for further, non-life-threatening, care.
If you are considering being out on the water in any type of vessel this spring, please remember that the water is still very cold and that can inhibit your ability to save yourself. Also remember that life-jackets, or personal flotation devices, are available in a variety of sizes. Your life-jacket can only keep you afloat if it fits you. Younger children will slip out of an adult sized life-jacket. Ensure that you have done your research and have the necessary safety equipment on board and always share your plan with a person on land so that if you encounter trouble, it will be available to emergency services.