Manitoba RCMP say they’ve recovered the body of a 12-year-old boy who fell into the water at Sturgeon Falls Saturday morning.
The boy was last spotted climbing down rocks when he slipped into the water and was pulled under the rapids. A bystander jumped into the water to try to help, but wasn’t able to save him.
Police said they found the boy’s body around 1 a.m. Monday.
Whitemouth RCMP continue to investigate
Christopher Love of Lifesaving Society Manitoba said the tragic situation is something no family should have to go through.
Love, the society’s water smart and safety management coordinator, told 680 CJOB’s The Start that 70 per cent of people who drown each year in Manitoba never intended on actually going into the water.
The Lifesaving Society urges all Manitobans enjoying the outdoors to be cautious.
“If we’re talking hiking, I need to stay away from the edge of the water because I know the riverbanks might be potentially compromised, because we’ve had high water levels and flooding earlier in the season… and that can make it easier for banks to collapse or just be very, very slippery and dangerous,” he said.
Even fishing off a riverbank comes with risks.
“We actually advise, you should be wearing a lifejacket, because banks can be unstable,” he said.
“But also, we’ve got a whole bunch of big fish out there that are pretty darn strong and they can pull you into the water sometimes if you’re not prepared for it.”