Canoeist charged after being rescued by police in Ottawa Valley

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged a person after an incident on Golden Lake, near Eganville, Ont., in the Ottawa Valley.

On May 17, officers were called at around 10:00 p.m. to the lake for a canoeist in distress. The person onboard did not have a life jacket and the boat started taking on water before eventually capsizing in the high winds.

Police arrived and found the man had made it to shore. He was taken to hospital by Renfrew County Paramedics. Officials said as part of the investigation, they screened him for impairment.

As a result, Jordan Watson, from the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, is charged with operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration 80mg plus and operating a personal watercraft without required personal floatation device on board.

The 40-year-old had his driver’s licence suspended for 90 days. He was released and is scheduled to appear in court next month.

“Under the Criminal Code, it is illegal to operate a conveyance while impaired. Conveyance broadly means a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft or railway equipment,” police said. “A vessel encompasses all types of watercraft, regardless of whether they are motorized or not. This includes boats, canoes, kayaks and sailboats.”