A Lambton County family is shocked and angered that another person has died in a cold water training exercise for firefighters.
Five years ago, Gary Kendall of Point Edward died after being trapped under the icy water in Lake Huron during a training exercise.
On Feb. 8, Adam Brunt also died in Hanover after becoming trapped under ice in the Saugeen River.
For Myrissa Kendall, last weekend’s death brings back painful memories.
She rushed home from school on the East Coast to try to see her father before he died in hospital.
"About five minutes outside of Sarnia, I was pulled over and told they couldn't keep my dad alive any longer and that we were going to go to the house and not the hospital."
Firefighters from across the country and the U.S. attended Gary Kendall’s funeral.
For the Kendall family, the support was overwhelming.
From that day on Myrissa Kendall and her family vowed to do everything they could to prevent another tragedy from occurring.
They are upset that Adam Brunt, of Bowmanville, recently lost his life.
The 30-year-old firefighting student died while training with a Newmarket-based company.
It’s believed to be the same company whose operator was charged, but later acquitted, in relation to Kendall's death.
After his death, no regulations were placed on small private operators of firefighting training courses.
Myrissa Kendall thought, after court appearances and a call for a coroner's inquest, the government would have taken action.
"All I have ever said, is, 'I don't want this to happen again.’ It shouldn't have happened the first time. It doesn’t need to happen a second, and unfortunately now it’s happened a second.”
She plans to reach out to Brunt’s family. She also hopes the public will start asking questions after two men have now died.
“My dad was a fantastic man, who’d always said, 'Look for the greater lesson.' Unfortunately that was not done this time and somone else has had to relive what we've gone through.”
