Body found in Humber Bay is missing man Keith White, who fell off party boat

TORONTO – Toronto Police say the body that was recovered from Humber Bay on Wednesday is that of missing London, Ont. man Keith White.

Toronto Police Staff Sgt. Craig Drennan confirmed the victim was 34-year-old White to Global News on Wednesday.

White fell off the Mariposa Cruise ship “Northern Spirit” into Lake Ontario’s cool waters at about 7:30 p.m. on June 13 during a party and police had been searching for him ever since.

READ MORE: Search continues for man, 34, who fell off party boat in Lake Ontario

Police said at the time they believed the man fell about 25 feet from the upper deck.

Friends and family had said White was healthy, in good shape and certified as a lifeguard.

“We are devastated as the permanence of our loss is irrefutable now,” said sister Crystal White in an email to Global News, adding that the recovery of his body would help with the family’s grieving.

“But Keith has left a tremendous hole in our hearts and we hope and pray no other family has to go through such a senseless and avoidable tragedy. There needs to be accountability to the public and our family when there are so many unanswered questions still.”

WATCH: Family now grieving as search for man in Humber Bay continues

The Transportation Safety Board also sent a team to investigate the incident on June 15 to assess the scene and gather information.

The water temperature at the time was about 9 °C and hypothermia can set in at that temperature within 10 minutes.

With files from Cindy Pom, Valerie Laillet and The Canadian Press