On June 22, 2019, shortly after 5 p.m., members of the Haliburton Highlands Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency crews responded to a capsized boat on McCaslim Lake.

A small aluminum fishing boat was occupied by three friends who were out on the lake fishing. The vessel capsized and two of the occupants were able to utilize life jackets found floating on top of the water and safely returned to shore.

The third male disappeared under the surface. Efforts to locate this male were unsuccessful.

On June 23, 2019, OPP members from the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit attended McCaslim Lake and located the missing man. The deceased has been identified as Jeffrey Daniel St-Cyr, 36 years old from Oshawa, Ontario.

As a part of the investigation OPP members confirmed the capsized vessel had appropriate safety equipment on-board, however lifejackets were not worn by those involved.

For us at Fish’n Canada, our hearts sink in our chests whenever we read about a death on the water. Read our National Lifejacket Day – Is It Time for Change? blog for more about safety when boating