They were about 500 yards from shore and sitting side-by-side on the same seat when the canoe suddenly capsized in 6 feet (2 meters) of water. They tried but were unable to right the canoe and began screaming for help. They knew a sandbar was several meters away and that the water there was only 3 feet (1 meter) deep so they began swimming toward it. Her boyfriend led the way and encouraged Amy to keep swimming, but when he reached the sandbar and turned around, she was gone. Her body was recovered in 6 feet (1 meter) of water the following morning by an underwater search and recovery team from nearby Gravenhurst.

 

An indication of how severely debilitating even a partial immersion in 35F (2C) water can be, is the fact that Amy’s boyfriend lost control of his legs and collapsed repeatedly as he made his way towards shore along the sandbar in hip-deep water. Toward the end, he reportedly also lost his vision and had to follow the shouted instructions of people on shore who told him which way to go.

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Case Note:  

As Winter moves towards Spring, unseasonably warm air tempts many people to venture out in small boats when the water temperature is still deadly cold. Many people who can swim have drowned within 6-10 feet of shore due to cold shock and swimming failure.