The warm July afternoon at Westboro Beach turned tragic yesterday when a father drowned while rescuing his child from the Ottawa River, emergency officials confirmed.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. when Ottawa Paramedic Services responded to reports of a possible drowning near the popular beach area. According to witnesses, a 42-year-old man entered the water after seeing his 8-year-old daughter struggling against an unexpected current.
“He didn’t hesitate,” said Marina Kowalski, who was picnicking with her family nearby. “One minute he was watching from shore, the next he was racing into the water. It happened so fast.”
Bystanders reported that the father successfully pushed his daughter toward shallower water where she was pulled to safety by beachgoers, but he was then swept further into the river by the current. Ottawa Fire Services water rescue teams arrived minutes later and recovered the man approximately 50 meters from shore.
Paramedics performed CPR at the scene before transporting him to The Ottawa Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead. The child was treated for minor injuries and released to family members.
Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant Carolyn Campbell confirmed the details of the incident but withheld the victim’s name pending notification of extended family. “This is an absolutely heartbreaking situation,” Campbell said. “A father made the ultimate sacrifice to save his child.”
The drowning comes amid rising water levels throughout the Ottawa River watershed following last week’s heavy rainfall. The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board had issued an advisory just days earlier warning of stronger-than-normal currents and unpredictable water conditions.
Pierre Leroux, water safety coordinator with the Ottawa Lifesaving Society, noted that even experienced swimmers can be caught off guard by the river’s changing dynamics. “The Ottawa River can be deceptive, especially after rainfall when underwater currents strengthen but surface conditions might look calm,” Leroux explained.
City officials have temporarily closed Westboro Beach for swimming while conducting a safety review. Warning signs have been posted at other river access points throughout the capital region.
This marks the third drowning in the Ottawa River this season, prompting renewed calls from water safety advocates for increased lifeguard coverage and public education about river currents.
“People underestimate natural waterways,” said Dr. Susan Farrell, emergency physician who has worked with the Canadian Red Cross water safety program. “Unlike pools, rivers have currents, drop-offs, and changing conditions that require different safety approaches.”
Local resident Tom McKenzie, who assisted in the rescue attempt, described the community’s response as immediate but ultimately heartbreaking. “About a dozen people formed a human chain trying to reach him, but the current was too strong,” McKenzie said. “Everyone is devastated. He saved his daughter’s life, but at such a terrible cost.”
The City of Ottawa announced that grief counselors will be available at the Westboro Community Centre for the next three days to support witnesses and community members affected by the tragedy.
Mayor Jim Watson expressed condolences to the family during an evening press conference. “Today our city witnessed both tragic loss and extraordinary parental love,” Watson said. “We mourn with this family and will support them however we can in the difficult days ahead.”
Ottawa Public Health reminded residents about water safety as summer activities peak, emphasizing the importance of life jackets, swimming with companions, and respecting posted warnings about water conditions.
A makeshift memorial of flowers and children’s drawings has already begun forming near the beach entrance, with a handwritten sign reading “A hero father’s love.”
