MILTON MAN DROWNS IN LAKE OF BAYS WHILE RETRIEVING STAKES SATURDAY

HUNTSVILLE — A Milton man who was out on Lake of Bays Saturday was found in the water, but was unable to be revived.

Police say that on March 22 emergency services responded to a call of a male who had gone through the ice on Lake of Bays, near Baxter Lane in Algonquin Highlands Township.

Witnesses said he had been out on the ice retrieving stakes and was found floating in the water.

After being brought to shore lifesaving measures were performed until EMS arrived.

Regrettably, the 59-year-old was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead.

Police say drowning is not deemed suspicious at this time.

Every year, the say, needless preventable tragedies occur in area waters and on ice surfaces that could have been avoided.

Emergency services are counting on the public to make that decision to stay OFF the ICE.

Any ice surface user must remember that “No ice is Safe Ice.”

And that any travel on the current water/ice surface conditions — if any ice should even exist — should be wearing proper survival clothing/wet suit, having a fully charged cell phone along with telling a friend, neighbour, family member or work supervisor of your destination.

The OPP is committed to boater education, marine patrol/law enforcement and saving lives on more than 110,000 square kilometres of Ontario waterways. With capsized vessels and falling overboard the top contributing factors in boating deaths every year, a significant number of lives stand to be saved if boaters, personal watercraft users and paddlers wore a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD).