Only when you consciously stop and notice do you see that even at the beach, cell phones have an almost hypnotic effect on several people. It only takes a moment for tragedy to occur. Tinkess Photo
LONG SAULT – Members of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating a drowning incident in the community of Long Sault in the Township of South Stormont.
On Sat., July 26, 2025, at approximately 5:45 p.m., emergency services responded to a call reporting that a young child at Mille Roches Beach had no vital signs, and that off-duty medical professionals were conducting resuscitation efforts.
Resuscitation efforts continued, and upon arrival Cornwall-SD&G Paramedics Services rushed the child to hospital under OPP escort with assistance from the Cornwall Police Service. Despite the resuscitation efforts, the child was later pronounced deceased.
The identity of the three-year-old victim is not being released, out of respect for the family’s privacy.
A spike in water-related deaths has authorities and safety advocates urging boaters and swimmers across Ontario to take lifejacket use and water safety more seriously.
According to a media release by the OPP on July 24, 10 people have died in marine incidents in eastern Ontario so far this summer, more than double the number recorded by this time last year. As well, 3-year-old child drowned at Sandbanks Provincial Park on July 25, a 24-year-old man from Toronto drown in a kayak incident at Wasaga Beach, in addition to the 3-year-old who drowned at Mille Roches on July 26.
The OPP would like to thank members of the public who provided assistance in this matter. The investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information that could aid the investigation, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
