Man dies after being rescued near Britannia Beach

A man has died after emergency crews rescued him from the water near Britannia Beach on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for Ottawa Police Service said via email they received a call at about 10:05 a.m. about a person in the water "appearing to be in distress." It happened off the water in the 2700 block of Cassels Street.

The man was brought to the hospital in life-threatening condition, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service.

The man was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital, police said, adding that the cause of death is unknown.

Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio said crews got a call from a staff member at the Britannia Yacht Club saying someone reported a person was stuck under the water in the Deschênes Rapids.

"Upon arrival, there was somebody submerged in the water, halfway from shore to a capsized boat that was from a rescue last week in the same area," said DeFazio, adding that they were wearing a life jacket.

"The person was entangled in the rope that was used to tie the boat off to the shore."

DeFazio said a water rescue technician used a knife to cut the rope and free the individual and crews brought the individual to the shore.

The individual was unresponsive, according to Ottawa fire, and firefighters began CPR and continued to provide CPR on route to the hospital.

DeFazio said last week, the boat had capsized and two people on the boat were able to make their way to shore themselves. Fire crews had assessed them and "they were OK," said DeFazio.

"The boat itself is very lodged, so it's important the public knows to stay away from the boat and that area," he said. "We're going to have wait for the water levels to go down before that boat can get removed."

Rapids 'notorious,' warns Ottawa fire

DeFazio warned the Deschênes Rapids are a "notorious" and dangerous area that crews respond to every year.

"The current is extremely strong," he said. "We've already been out in that area multiple times this year ... for rescues and people in distress."

The city has not started to supervise swimming at its four beaches yet and the water quality at Britannia Beach has not been deemed safe for swimming.

Lifeguards will monitor Britannia Beach, Mooney's Bay Beach, Petrie East Bay and Petrie River from June 15 until Aug. 25, 2024, from noon to 7 p.m. every day, according to the City of Ottawa.

Last summer, local officials including Councillor Theresa Kavanagh — whose ward includes Britannia Beach — emphasized water safety in the area after numerous rescues had to be made.

In one incident, a 17-year-old girl was rescued and the body of a 21-year-old man was recovered days later.