Death of person found in pond not criminal, police say
The death of a person whose body was found in a stormwater pond in northeast Edmonton is believed to be non-criminal, city police say.
Edmonton police were called to the pond near Manning Drive and 153 Avenue just after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a passerby spotted the body. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services was also called to the scene to help recover the body.
While the circumstances of the death are unknown, police said it is not related to someone falling through the ice over the winter. The age and gender of the person were not provided.
Safety concerns around Edmonton stormwater ponds have been raised in the past.
In 2017, the death of a 14-year-old girl who had gone into a pond to rescue a dog prompted the city to launch an internal review of safety around its stormwater management facilities.
Krystyna Maksymova was walking a neighbour's dog with her younger sister when it ended up in a pond after chasing geese near 82 Street and Chrystallina Nera Way in the community of Lago Lindo. She tried to rescue the dog, but drowned. The dog survived.
Bystanders had also tried to pull the girl from the lake, but became stuck in the mud and vegetation.
The ponds are designed to collect water runoff, improve water quality by collecting sediment, and enhance flood protection. They are not safe for recreational activities of any kind.
They should be avoided because of water quality, rapid changes in water levels during a storm, flowing water underneath ice in the winter, and silt and vegetation buildup.
After Maksymova's death, the city inspected the pond for safety gaps, but found it met the current standards.
More recently, the city and Epcor have ramped up safety messaging for stormwater facilities, particularly in the winter.
Edmontonians are asked to stay off any ice formed on the ponds due to its unpredictability and unseen hazards that may be covered by snow.
To encourage residents to stay off the ponds, Epcor launched the Community League Saferink grant program, which provides $800 to eligible community leagues to help support the construction of safe ice surfaces.