Individual drowns after falling overboard on St. Lawrence River

An individual has died after falling out of a boat on the St. Lawrence River near the Town of Gananoque.

It happened on July 19 shortly after 6:30 p.m. Leeds OPP responded to a report of an individual who had fallen out of a stationary boat. Police learned the individual was not wearing a personal flotation device. The individual was located in the water several minutes later.

Leeds County OPP Marine Unit, the Leeds and Thousands Islands Fire Department, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre initiated a fast attack, but the 20-year-old individual from Nepean was pronounced dead at the scene.

OPP are continuing the investigation in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner. A postmortem examination will also be conducted.

The individual’s identity will not be released to protect the privacy of the grieving family.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122.