A family of new immigrants in Canada recently suffered a tragic tragedy. Three members of the family accidentally fell into Lake Erie, Ontario, killing a 14-year-old child, and the father and brother were rescued.
On Tuesday (July 16), the body of a 14-year-old boy was recovered from Lake Erie, days after he and his brother and relatives were trapped in dangerous waters in Port Stanley, Ontario.
The death prompted calls for action around the local beach pier due to the danger.
On Sunday (July 14) afternoon, Ontario police successfully rescued a 44-year-old man and his 17-year-old son, but the 14-year-old son was nowhere to be found.
It is reported that the family immigrated to Canada from Turkey and has been here for less than a year.
After the incident, the child's mother had an emotional breakdown and was taken to the hospital, while the father, who was rescued from the water, waited on the beach.
At that time, nearby tourists and local residents formed a human chain and desperately tried to save the boy, but the emergency rescue was unsuccessful. The body was found on Tuesday afternoon.
(Photo of the boy who was killed attending the 8th grade graduation ceremony)
Provincial Police Inspector Jennifer Neamtz said. "The Provincial Police would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all of our emergency service partners, community residents, and everyone who provided information about this incident,"
"At this moment, our hearts are with our families and friends who have suffered misfortune."
Police have not released the names of the deceased, but the Muslim Mosque in London listed a funeral notice for Omer Buz on Wednesday. The family, who had recently immigrated to London, Ontario, "was supposed to be a wonderful family outing on the beach of Port Stanley on Sunday, July 14, but it ended in tragedy," GoFundMe said. ”
"The Buz family has a daughter living in Turkey who is desperately trying to get to Canada to reunite with her family through this disastrous time," the fundraiser wrote.
"We ask the community to do everything possible to help ease the financial burden and ease the cost of travel to bring our daughter home."
Heather Taylor was one of those who assisted with the rescue effort on Sunday. She lives only in nearby St. Thomas. Thomas has lived for more than eight years, but this is the second drowning she has witnessed.
Eight years before the Buz drowning, 18-year-old William Johnston drowned at the dock. The marina was closed for 17 years in 1998 due to the drowning of three men and did not reopen until the previous year.
"Many of our locals in the Port Stanley and St. Thomas area know that the area near the pier is very dangerous," Taylor said.
"Now the sign closest to the pier says 'what to do if there is a rapid,' but the tall grass covers the signage."
Taylor is organizing a group scheduled to meet Monday to develop a plan to be presented to Parliament, possibly in the fall, to look at options to raise awareness of water safety.
She said some regional companies said they would be happy to provide improved or additional signage, develop QR codes to read signage in multiple languages, and support other potential security initiatives.
She points out that language is also a barrier for the family, who on Sundays can only speak to them on the beach through an interpreter because they don't speak English.
"At the end of this conversation, I concluded by saying that I would advocate for this family and advocate for better water safety," she said.
"When I said to his brother, 'I'll do this,' he thanked me. That's why I'm doing it. I will keep my promise to the Buz family. ”
MaryKate Townsend of the Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition also said that locals are generally aware of the dangers associated with the lake, but summer visitors may not be aware of them.
She said. "Lake Erie is fairly shallow, and it tends to roll over very quickly as storms and weather changes approach. We saw rapids, big waves, and muddy water, so visibility was poor, and with rocks, piers, and sandbars, things were really hard to predict at times. ”
Townsend hopes to further discuss the safety of the marina with the municipality.
"I hope we can have a dialogue with the municipalities and maybe they will think about it," she said. But I think it's just the early days. Everyone was shocked and reacted to the incident. ”