Boy, 4, drowns while swimming in rural Manitoba gravel pits

A young child has died while swimming in the gravel pits on Taylor Road in the RM of St. Andrews north of Winnipeg.

Clandeboye Fire Chief Ed Paskaruk confirmed a four-year-old boy drowned Sunday evening.

View image in full screen

He said his team, along with the Matlock Fire Department, RCMP, emergency personnel and Stars Air Ambulance were all dispatched to the pits at about 5 p.m. after the boy was reported missing in the water.

The child’s body was recovered at about 7:30 p.m., said Paskaruk.

1:31 Swimming lessons in high demand

Manuel Maendel from the Hutterite Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART) told 680 CJOB that with these hot temperatures children and people do gravitate toward the water to cool off and the water in gravel pits tends to be on the milky side, therefore, it is not very clear.”

“It just takes a few seconds losing sight of a child for these things to happen,” he said

1:24 Water warnings