Witness of deadly Ontario boat crash says it was a matter of ‘when, not if’

For one lake resident, the circumstances of a May long weekend fatal boat crash north of Kingston, Ont., were not an unlucky event – but an inevitability.

Tony Hammond’s family has been going to the area for over 40 years, with Hammond living along the water for the last 20.

However, over the last 15 years, he and other neighbours say speeding has meant the waterway has become less safe – a general factor Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they are investigating.

“The behaviour of so many boats in the channel had, as the population on the channel has grown over the last 15, 20 years, turned this scenario into a when, not if,” Hammond said.

Just after 9:30 p.m. on May 18, three young adults were killed and five other people were injured after a speedboat ended up on top of a fishing boat in Bobs Lake, north of Kingston.

The crash occurred on a narrow channel that connects Bobs Lake and Buck Bay, which Hammond overlooks when he is sitting on the deck of his home.

That’s where he was when he said he saw a group of young people listening to music onboard a boat, which wasn’t far from its dock, when he heard another boat approaching.

Everything was happening so fast, Hammond said, that he did not have time to react.

“I was just hoping not to hear the crunch, and then I heard the crunch,” he said.

“Before any of the actual first responders (arrived), everyone was doing what they could. There’s no way to describe it, except that anyone who ever hears it knows that sound is go time.”

Bob Main, who also has a cottage on the lake, says he was watching TV with his family, their screen door open to let a breeze in, when they heard the loud crash.

Main said speeding can be an issue on the lake.

“It’s very narrow between here and across there, and there’s even a posted sign on here, ’10 Kilometres.’ On the other side, there’s a sign that says ‘No Wake Zone’ … you’re supposed to slow down,” he said.

Three people – Riley Orr, Juliette Cote and Kaila Bearman, who were all between the ages of 21 and 23 – were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Those who were injured in the collision are recovering, said Const. Rob Martell, a media relations officer with the Frontenac OPP, in a May 29 statement to Global News. That includes the driver of the speedboat, he said. That individual did not return several comment requests by publication time.

Martell added the OPP’s investigation is ongoing, and said while charges may be laid at a later date, none have been so far.

“I cannot discuss the specific factors being looked at in this investigation. General factors that get investigated are: speed, alcohol / drug impairment, safety equipment used or not used, weather, operator requirements for boats, time of day, darkness, underwater hazards, navigation tools or markers and operator ability,” he said.

“Our investigation will be ongoing to determine what impact speed may have played in this collision. A reconstructionist and traffic collision investigator, along with witness accounts will determine if speed plays a role. We are not releasing those determinations.”

In Ontario, boats are banned from exceeding 10 kilometres an hour within 30 metres of shore. A speed limit could be posted in canals or more narrow waterways, however, there is no prescribed speed limit on the open water, Martell said.

With warm weather settling in, Martell advises anyone taking to the waterways does so safely.

“Safe boating begins with safety checks by the operator to have proper safety equipment under the Canada Shipping Act. A proper operator licence and a sober operator of the vessel. No alcohol or drugs should be consumed prior to or while operating a vessel,” he said.

“Life jackets or Personal Floatation Devices should be worn at all times. A detailed departure and return time should be communicated to family. Carrying a cell phone for emergencies is also helpful. Using navigation tools and safe boating practices will greatly reduce the chances of a collision or marine emergency.”

Recordings of emergency dispatches posted online revealed a chaotic scene the night of the crash as paramedics, police, and firefighters raced to the area.

“OPP and ambulance are reporting two boats have crashed. They can hear people screaming for help,” a dispatcher from South Frontenac Fire and Rescue said around 9:45 p.m.

Around 10:10 p.m., first responders found most of the crash victims wedged together on the boats next to a concrete dock near a few cottages.

It is unclear at this time if the boat that was hit had lights on.

Two people were without vital signs, while another was in and out of consciousness, a firefighter told dispatch.

At the end of the day, Hammond said he feels this was all avoidable.

“It had to be an incident to get people to pay attention because we could contact authorities, we can contact regulators, we can contact MPs, you can contact newspapers, you can talk to you blue in the face, and nothing can be done about the fact they are not navigating the channel correctly” he said.

“Can’t do much about that until people get killed, and then, oh, now we have to do something.”

— with files from Global News’ Sean O’Shea, Aaron D’Andrea, Talha Hashmani and The Canadian Press