Bravery citation for Kincardine, Ont. man following 2020 drowning
“I could just see the bottoms of his shoes,” recounted Mike Walsh as he remembered the afternoon of September 3, 2020, when he saw a man’s unconscious body in the waters off Kincardine, Ont., and went in after him.
“It was so windy, the first responders couldn’t hear me yelling, so I went in after him. When I got close to shore, a friend of mine, Dave Jenkins, helped pull him up. As soon as we got him out of the water, and to an area where we could work on him, I started working on CPR,” said Walsh.
That man he pulled from the water was Aleem Ramji, who did not survive.
Earlier that afternoon, Ramji had jumped in the water to save his cousins who had been washed off the pier and into a rocky Lake Huron.
Commissioner’s Citation for Bravery for Mike Walsh’s actions in September 2020 for attempting to save a drowning victim in Kincardine, Ont. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
For his efforts that day, Walsh received the OPP Commissioner’s Citation for Bravery. It was a bittersweet acknowledgement, since the man he pulled from the water succumed to his injuries.
Walsh, a lifelong Kincardine resident, said he’s seen far too many drownings and near drownings at this section of shoreline.
“It’s different for us here, because we know what the lake is like. Even on a day like today, you really shouldn’t be in the water,” he said.
But now a new initiative is underway this summer to measure wave strength, water temperature and beachgoer behaviour, in order to avoid another drowning tragedy — it’s called the Smart Beach Project.
“How can we encourage them to set up in safer areas? Dr. Houser and his team from the University of Windsor will be looking at all that information to be able to make recommendations that will save lives,” said Meaghan Fair, who is part of Kincardine’s Smart Beach project.
Mike Walsh and Meaghan Fair talk in front of the Smart Beach Project sign at Station Beach in Kincardine, Ont. on June 27, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Five people have drowned in Kincardine’s waters since 2008, with many more near drownings.
While he appreciates the recognition for his efforts two summers ago, he and Kincardine’s first responders would rather not have to jump in and pull another lifeless body from the lake.
“We need tourists to come to Kincardine, and whey they come, they see the lake, and think that looks really fun. But, it’s deadly,” said Walsh.
Aleem Ramji — the man Walsh pulled from Lake Huron in September 2020 — was posthumously awarded a Commissioner’s Citation for Bravery for trying to save his cousins, after they were swept into the lake.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.