Police recover body of swimmer who went missing after jumping off Prince of Wales Bridge
Ottawa police say they have recovered the body of a 26-year-old man who went missing in the Ottawa River on Sunday after jumping off the Prince of Wales Bridge.
Emergency crews received a call just after 4 p.m. Sunday about a group of people jumping off the old train bridge. One of them failed to resurface after jumping in the river, police said.
Ottawa police and fire were seen searching the water just east of the Prince of Wales Bridge Sunday evening.
Monday morning, Ottawa police said divers recovered the man's body. He has been identified as the London, Ont. man that had been reported missing on Sunday. Police have not released his name.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man." police said in a news release.
The man is the second person in less than a year to die after jumping from the out-of-service former rail bridge.
Second death in less than a year
Last July 3, Vimy Grant, 14, died after jumping from the bridge into the river. Police found his body three days later and a coroner’s investigation concluded that he had drowned.
Grant's family plans to sue the city for negligence for not adequately blocking the Prince of Wales Bridge.
"How many young people have to die before the City of Ottawa acts?" Asked lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who is representing the Grant family. "The failure is really knowing that the place is frequented by young people and is used as a place of adventure and jumping off the bridge."
Greenspon adds that the Grant family is in shock that another death has happened and that they are praying for the young man's family.
In September 2016, Ottawa built fences along the former railway crossing to stop trespassers from accessing the popular spot. Hours after the fence was installed at the four entry points of the two-span bridge, one of the chain link fences was pushed off its hinges. Transport Canada ordered the city to block off the bridge.
Troy Charter, the City of Ottawa's director of transit operations said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa that safety and security is their top priority.
"The City has taken numerous measures to prevent access to the inactive bridge. City staff patrol the bridge daily to ensure people are not accessing it. Staff conduct regular inspections and ensure any repairs that are required are completed promptly. To ensure and protect public safety, signage, chains and fencing have been put in place to prevent trespassing. Metal plates were also installed last year at the south entrance and along Lemieux Island."
An infrastructure announcement planned for Monday near the bridge was cancelled. The City did not say what the announcement was. Ottawa has looked at the possibility of converting the former railway crossing to a multi-use pathway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Egypt media cite progress in truce talks as Israel downplays chances of end to war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in ongoing cease-fire talks with Israel while an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.