Toronto police say a 47-year-old man has died and six other people are injured after a boat they were on crashed into the rocks at Woodbine Beach on Thursday.
Emergency services were called to the west side of Woodbine Beach about 90 metres away from the shoreline, south of Woodbine Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East, just after 12:30 p.m. after police said the 46-year-old operator lost control of the 20-foot Bowrider and crashed into the rocks.
Toronto paramedics said they transported a man to hospital in life-threatening condition, where he later died. He was a passenger at the time of the collision.
Police sources told Global News the man, who was in his late 40s, was a passenger in the boat.
Four others were taken to hospital in total with non-life-threatening injuries. Three men were assessed on scene by paramedics.
A witness told Global News she was sunbathing on the beach when she heard a boat speeding and sat up to look.
“It was just speeding like it looked like it was going to turn over and then suddenly it crashed into the rocks. It was scary,” she said.
Police towed the boat away Thursday afternoon, but it took on water a short time later and sunk.
Officers continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the collision, asking in a statement Thursday evening for more information from members of the public.
“This area of the waterfront is believed to be heavily occupied at the time of the collision and police are asking anyone that may have saw the collision, or have video footage of the incident, to contact investigators,” the statement said.