Montreal man drowns at North Beach Provincial Park

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have released details of an apparent drowning at North Beach Provincial Park on County Road 27.

According to police, the Prince Edward County Detachment of the OPP attended the scene with Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue and Hastings Quinte EMS at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Thursday Aug. 27, 2020.

A family had reportedly been swimming when one member, 32 year-old Oussama Righi of Montreal, failed to surface. Police say the man was pulled from the water, and that first responders started CPR on scene before he was taken to a local hospital. He was subsequently pronounced deceased.

The Office for the Chief Coroner of Ontario is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Prince Edward OPP. A post mortem examination has been scheduled. Police say foul play is not suspected.

The OPP is asking everyone to be aware of conditions before entering any body of water, especially of their location, and any hazards present.

“Eastern Ontario has seen a tragic number of drowning incidents in 2020,” said a statement from the OPP. “In many cases, proper use of a life jacket would have almost certainly resulted in a different outcome. If you are heading out on the water, wear your personal floatation device (PFD) or life jacket.”