Stouffville man charged in connection with Otonabee River drowning

Officers from the Peterborough County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), along with EMS and Fire, responded to an afternoon call on June 30th regarding an individual who fell off a boat in the Otonabee River and did not resurface. 

Officers were dispatched to a call regarding an adult male who had fallen off a boat while on the Otonabee River. The caller advised that they had been travelling east on the river when another boat went by, at which point one of the four individuals on the boat fell into the water. The caller advised that the missing person was not wearing a life jacket at the time that they went into the water and was no longer able to be seen. 

Officers arrived on scene, and a nearby OPP marine unit reached the location by water. Officers made contact with the three remaining individuals who were still on the boat near the location the person went into the water. The individuals were taken to shore while the area was searched for the missing person. While speaking with the passengers, it was determined that they had been consuming alcohol and as a result, an officer made a demand of the operator of the vessel to provide a sample of their breath into an Approved Screening Device (ASD). The operator complied with the demand and as a result was arrested and transported to the Peterborough County OPP detachment for further testing. 

A 28-year-old man from Whitchurch-Stouville was arrested and charged with operation causing death and operation while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (80 plus).

The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit attended the location, and shortly before 9 p.m., divers located the body of the victim. A 39-year-old male from Oshawa was pronounced as deceased at the scene.