The Bracebridge Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is conducting a search of the water near Sandy Bay in Bracebridge after a boater fell overboard and failed to surface.
On July 1, 2026, at 5:45 p.m., Bracebridge OPP officers, along with the OPP Marine Unit, responded to a distress call from a boater indicating that a person had fallen out of their vessel and failed to surface. A couple had been returning to Bracebridge in their boat, and while in the area of Sandy Bay near Bowyers Beach on Lake Muskoka, the weather changed very quickly, making navigation difficult. One of the people on board, a 67-year-old Bracebridge man, fell out of the vessel and was struggling in the water. Nearby residents responded to the calls for help and attended the location in boats as well; however, the man has not yet been located.
The OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU) is assisting with the search this morning, and anyone with information is asked to call Bracebridge OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
From the Bracebridge OPP
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This is a tragic example of poor decisions in not checking marine conditions, understanding that when the situation becomes unmanageable to seek the nearest dockage, and above all not wearing a PFD.
I’m so sorry for the family. This should not have happened.