Marine Officers Rescue Men From Lake Ontario

With the arrival of warmer weather and the start of summer holidays, more and more people are without a doubt searching for ways to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, a trio of men from the Greater Toronto Area had their excursion on the water take a drastic turn, as their canoe capsized in the 30-foot deep, frigid waters of Lake Ontario.

For Constable Chris Duke and Constable Mike Beveridge, their shift on June 25, 2021, had started as somewhat routine. Then, without warning, as in much of policing, the Communication Centre received an urgent call indicating that a canoe had capsized and the individuals on board were having difficulty staying afloat. Quickly grabbing their equipment, Duke and Beveridge boarded Peel Police’ Marine 1, sped to the capsized canoe’s approximate area, and discovered a large debris field of personal belongings in the water.

They swiftly located three men in the water and discovered that only two of the three were wearing personal floatation devices (PFD) and that the situation was turning dire for the third. While all of the men were experiencing the effects of the water temperature, the third man was fighting to stay afloat and was gasping for air whenever he could breach the surface of the water. Realizing the situation was on the brink of turning tragic, Duke and Beveridge worked together to maneuver Marine 1 closer to the men while deploying a rescue line into the water. The men, beginning with the one not wearing a life-jacket, were pulled onboard Marine 1 by Duke and Beveridge using just the rescue line and their sheer commitment to save all three men. Once onboard, the men were assessed and provided with emergency first-aid by Duke. At the same time, Beveridge navigated Marine 1 back towards the shore where Peel Paramedics were waiting. One of the men was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

“Day in, and day out, the men and women of Peel Police work hard to keep all those that live and visit Peel Region safe. The actions of Chris and Mike, and the successful rescues they were able to perform, are testament to that, said Nick Milinovich, Deputy Chief of Investigative and Emergency Services.

For Duke and Beveridge, this was just part of their job and what they signed up to do. Keep people safe.

However, for Duke, Beveridge and the rest of their Marine Unit teammates, the message to others is to wear a PFD at all times, regardless of how efficient of a swimmer someone thinks they may be. In fact, to emphasize the importance of PFD’s, out of the 18 people to date that were assisted out of the waters in Peel Region, the majority of them were wearing PFD’s and played a role in ensuring their safety.

PFD’s help save lives and make that crucial difference if you find yourself in trouble while in a body of water. 

For more information on how to stay safe while enjoying the waterways, visit the Office of Boating Safety.