A 15-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after jumping from the Mc Farlane Street bridge in Peterborough on Saturday afternoon (July 4) and colliding with a boat that was passing beneath.
Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), along with emergency medical services and fire crews, were called to the scene around 4:45 p. m. on Saturday.
Witnesses stated that the teen jumped from the bridge just before a large boat passed underneath. He hit the boat, fell into the water, and didn’t come up right away. His friends, who were also on the bridge, jumped in to assist him.
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When first responders arrived, they helped retrieve the boy, who was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre and later airlifted to a trauma center in Toronto.
The bridge was closed while police carried out their investigation. This inquiry is still ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone who might have seen what happened or has video footage but hasn’t yet contacted them to call Peterborough County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
The Mc Farlane Street bridge is located north of the Peterborough Lift Lock and spans over the Trent Canal, which sees regular boat traffic as part of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
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The OPP is warning everyone to stay off bridge railings and structures and never jump from bridges into waterways because it’s incredibly dangerous and can lead to tragic outcomes.
The height of a bridge can result in severe injuries upon hitting the water, while hidden dangers like shallow areas, rocks, debris, and strong currents may not be visible from above.
The risk increases even more when boats are nearby since operators might not notice someone entering the water quickly enough to avoid an accident. Those who leap off bridges also put themselves, others around them, and emergency personnel at significant risk.
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