Winnipeg boater, 85, dies trying to retrieve drifting boat
Witness saw man struggling in the water before he went under next to his boat
An elderly boater from Winnipeg, who tried to swim after his drifting boat in Netley Creek, has died.
The 85-year-old man tried to chase down his boat in the creek when it drifted away from a launch near the end of Breezy Point Road in the rural municipality of St. Andrews at about 11:30 a.m. CT on Monday, Selkirk RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.
A witness, who told police he doesn't know how to swim, said he saw the man struggling in the water before he went under next to his boat, officers said.
Another boater arrived and jumped into the water to try to grab a hold of the man. With the help of an additional boater, officers said they assisted in removing the man from the water.
He was transported to a hospital and later succumbed to his injuries. He was not wearing a life preservation jacket while swimming, RCMP said.
The Manitoba creek is a tributary of the Red River that begins near Petersfield, a small farming community about 48 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Selkirk RCMP along with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are continuing to investigate.