Ontario’s provincial law enforcement agency, the OPP, has revealed that a significant breakthrough is anticipated in the investigation of a fatal boat collision that occurred on a long weekend in May, north of Kingston. This tragic incident claimed the lives of three young individuals and left five others seriously injured on Bobs Lake on May 18th.
On the said date, around 9:30 p.m., a speedboat collided with a fishing boat on the lake, located just north of Kingston. The impact was such that the speedboat ended up atop the fishing boat. The tragic incident led to the immediate death of three individuals – Riley Orr, Juliette Cote, and Kaila Bearman, all aged between 21 and 23 years. Additionally, five other people, whose ages ranged from 21 to 44, sustained injuries and were subsequently transported to a Kingston hospital.
Eyewitness accounts and emergency dispatch recordings from the night of the accident painted a picture of chaos and urgency. Responders from various emergency services, including paramedics, police, and firefighters, raced to the scene following distress calls. An emergency dispatcher from South Frontenac Fire and Rescue, around 9:45 p.m. on May 18th, reported hearing cries for help from the collision site.
In a later update, around 10:10 p.m., first responders reported finding most of the victims stuck together on the boats next to a concrete dock near some cottages. It remains unclear whether the boat that was hit had its lights on.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, two people were found without vital signs, and another individual was slipping in and out of consciousness. Tony Hammond, a local resident who has lived by the water for the last 20 years, witnessed the tragedy unfold from his home’s deck.
Hammond recalls seeing a group of young people on a boat, not far from the dock, enjoying music when another boat approached at high speed. The events unfolded so rapidly that there was no time to react. He recounts hearing a crunching sound and knew instantly that a grave incident had occurred.
An update from the OPP on this case is expected at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
