‘A hero and a great man’: Victim in Belleville’s Myers Pier incident remembered as caring

Those who knew the man who was killed after a vehicle crashed into the water off of Myers Pier in Belleville on Monday, are mourning his loss.

The man who died during the incident was 63-year-old Larry Tilander, a security guard working at the pier at the time of the incident, friends and family say.

Just after 4 a.m. Monday, police say a vehicle drove onto the dock and hit several concrete barriers before going into the water.

Tilander died during the collision while a 36-year-old woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries and later released, police say.

His sister, Barb, says Larry was a caring man who often worked with members of the LGBTQ+ community and the homeless.

“He worked with the Not Alone team,” says Barb.

“He would cook meals in house and distribute them to the homeless.”

The Not Alone Team in Quinte posted to Facebook Tuesday, calling Larry “a hero and a great man.”

Barb says Larry would also carry Tim Hortons gift cards in his wallet and give them to homeless individuals he would meet around town.

Police were out at the pier, which was closed for the investigation, most of the day Monday and on Tuesday.

The vehicle was eventually recovered and brought back to the Belleville police station for examination.

Police are still investigating and ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them at 613-966-0882.