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Fisherman found dead in Pigeon Lake, Ont.

OPP boat Photo by OPP Central Region/Facebook

Members of the Kawartha Lakes detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a drowning that occurred overnight on Pigeon Lake between August 27 and 28.

A man from Emily Township had left at 5:50 p.m. to go fishing and when he didn’t return for several hours his wife called the police to report him missing. OPP Const. Laura Newberry reminds the public that before departing on a trip, ensure you have charged your phone, and let someone know where you are going and what time you plan to return.

When the call came in at 12:40 a.m. on August 28, OPP officers, members of the marine unit, fire and rescue, and a Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre helicopter were deployed. Approximately five hours later, the body of the 69-year-old man was found submerged in the water. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time.

Editor’s note: Why I wear a life jacket

Capsized vessels and falling overboard are the top contributing factors in boating deaths every year. OPP encourages boaters, personal watercraft users, and paddlers to wear a life jacket or personal floatation device. The OPP patrols more than 110,000 square kilometers of Ontario waterways educating and enforcing water safety rules.

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