Southern Georgian Bay OPP along were called at 8:44 p.m. June 5, 2020 to a report of a vessel collision on the shoreline of the Bob Sullivan Memorial Park at Burke and Yeo Streets in the Town of Penetanguishene. Members of the Penetanguishene Fire Service also attended the scene and assisted in the investigation.
Through investigation and support of witnesses, officers at the scene learned that a outboard motor powered Walker Bay centre console vessel had struck it’s own wake in the area of the channel markers out front of the park and ejected all three young occupants into the water. The unoccupied vessel continued in a forward motion into shore, striking a park bench and coming to rest in a gazebo at the shoreline. No one was injured on shore and the three occupants of the vessel who were all wearing life jackets were picked up from the water by a good samaritan boater and returned to their vessel. The vessel occupants were checked for injuries by the attending County of Simcoe Paramedics and released.
The 16-year-old male operator was issued a offence notice for – Operation of a Vessel in a Careless Manner under the Small Vessel Regulations of the Canada Shipping Act as a result of the collision investigation.
