A youth is in the hospital after an an incident on Saturday where they jumped off a bridge and struck a boat.
Peterborough OPP officers responded to the incident at close to 4:45 on Saturday afternoon, after receiving a call about a 15-year-old who had leapt from a bridge on McFarlane Street in Peterborough. Witnesses say the youth had attempted the jump before a large vessel passing under the bridge had cleared the way, striking the vessel, and landing in the water. Nearby friends jumped into the water to help them after they didn’t immediately surface.
First responders arrived on scene and assisted removing the youth from the water. The youth was transported to a local hospital but was later airlifted by ORNGE Air to a trauma centre in Toronto.
The bridge remained closed while officers conducted their investigation.
OPP are reminding the public that jumping from bridges into water is extremely dangerous. The height of a bridge can cause serious injuries upon impact with the water, while hidden hazards such as shallow depths, rocks, debris, and strong currents may not be visible from above.
