Man dead after falling through ice off Toronto Islands: police

A man is dead after falling through the ice off of Toronto Centre Island Thursday night, authorities say.

The man, who was in his 70s, fell into Lake Ontario near Lagoon Road and Centre Island Parkway after the ice broke underneath his feet, Toronto police said on Friday.

Fire crews were dispatched around 8 p.m. Thursday after the man was reported missing, Toronto Fire spokesperson Dan Vieira said in an email. He said fire crews and police searched the island and surrounding waters until about midnight and found a hole in the ice.

People on the island told emergency responders they believed the man had gone skating, Vieira said.

Police said land crews, the fire boat, and police marine searched the area, including the hole in the ice, and his body was found in the water Friday morning.

Police have not released the man's identity.

Martin Mittelstaedt, a longtime resident on the island, said he knew the man who died and that people are shocked and sad to lose a neighbour.

"I think that the island will go through a grieving process over this because, to my mind, it's the first person who's drowned on the island certainly in many decades. I've been living here for over 30 years and it's the first time anything like this has happened. It's very rare, very unusual," he said.

Mittelstaedt said this time of year, usually after the first cold snap, residents start thinking about skating on the lake. He said Islanders get "ice fever" and cannot wait to get out on the ice because "it's a delight to skate along the lagoons." 

But he thinks they might take more precautions now.

"I think there'll be more of an effort to make sure that when you go skating, you go with other people. Maybe that you take a few ice picks with you so that if go through, you can pull yourself out. And people will probably try to stay closer to the areas near the community where the ice is much thicker."

Const. Cindy Chung, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, said police are advising people against going on frozen lakes, rivers and ponds right now.

"We urge the public to stay off the ice as it can break unexpectedly and put you at serious risk in the freezing cold water. If you must venture near the ice, always wear a safety vest and take every possible precaution," Chung said.

"Please exercise extreme caution around all bodies of water this winter to prevent similar tragedies. We are encouraging everyone to stay safe," she added.

"This heartbreaking incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of venturing onto ice-covered bodies of water."

Police said the incident is not criminal in nature and to protect the family's privacy, it won't be releasing more details.