Toronto fire says the missing teen they were searching for who had fallen into the storm drains at Earl Bales Park early Friday has been found dead.
“Unfortunately, we found that second person just a short while ago and he succumbed to his injuries. I’d like to say our condolences go out to the families and friends of this individual,” said Toronto fire division commander Steve Darling in an update just before noon.
Crews had responded to the river area at the park near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue at around 1:20 a.m. for reports someone had possibly swept away into the storm sewer.
Darling said two people had been in the park near the the storm drains when both of them fell in. Only one of them, an 18-year-old man, was able to self-rescue and get out of the water.
“He was able to cling to the side of a rock face and pull himself out where he walked up to the parking lot and alerted some passerby’s who called 911,” Darling told reporters.
Darling said the pair went approximately 300 metres through the tunnel system and down a chute and into the river.
“They got caught with the water levels rising and they tried to get out but it was too late,” Darling continued. “The water swept them down stream.”
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A powerful storm swept through the Greater Toronto Area late Thursday night into early Friday, bringing between 15 to 30 mm of rain in the area.
Darling said there is a grate on the other end which opens on hinges to a large chute that empties out into the river just right below the reservoir that’s attached to the Don Valley golf course.
“My understanding is that they were just adventuring down in that system,” Darling said.
The other teenage male was unaccounted for most of the morning. Around 65 people including 40 firefighters and around 20 to 25 officers were searching for the teen Friday morning from up stream to down stream, both fire and police officials noted.
Crews had launched an extensive search for that unaccounted teenager, focusing on the sewage drainage area.
Fire officials said the City of Toronto also attended and offered extensive assistance with mapping and water direction to aid the search.
Darling called the other teen “lucky” for being able to escape.