OPP investigating suspected drowning

Tim Brody - Editor

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a suspected drowning at July Falls, near Pickle Lake. 
Police shared in an April 30 news release that, “Pickle Lake Detachment responded to a call at approximately 2:00 p.m. on April 29, 2022. It was reported that an individual had fallen through the ice. OPP and Pickle Lake Ambulance attended the scene and attempted life saving measures. Gordon Wassaykeesic, a 61-year-old from Mishkeegogamang Ojibway First Nation, was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Ontario Provincial Police are reminding members of the public that, “no ice is safe ice” and that Ice thickness can depend on many factors, including:

• size of the body of water;
• movement of the water, including currents and tides;
• current temperatures / recent and upcoming temperature fluctuations;
• fluctuations in water levels;
• the chemical composition of the water; and,
• depth of the water under the ice.