A missing person search off Cherry Beach on Wednesday has shifted to a recovery operation after a man went under the water during a boating incident.
The incident began shortly before 1:30 p.m. when two men and a dog were in an inflatable dinghy that started rapidly deflating. A witness saw them struggling and called 9-1-1, while also rescuing one man and the dog before emergency crews arrived. The second man went under the water and could not be located immediately.
Toronto Police Marine Unit officers, aided by the coast guard, marked the location and conducted an underwater search in poor visibility conditions. The rescued man, in his 40s, was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Police noted that only one life jacket was found on the dinghy, which was in poor condition, possibly overloaded, and carrying debris. The water was cold, and Wednesday’s windy conditions increased the risk for small vessels.