Staff swim party ends tragically at Gulliver’s Lake in Flamborough
A young man was flown to hospital in critical condition after he was pulled without vital signs from Gulliver’s Lake in Flamborough Tuesday.
“He’s in serious condition. It’s not good,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Hastings, shortly after an air ambulance left the private vacation park on Safari road. Police later said the man was resuscitated, but remained in critical condition at Hamilton General Hospital.
Hastings said the man, believed to be in his early 20s, was swimming with a group of friends at the quarry-turned-lake late in the afternoon. Park staff said the group was part of an office party outing from a Keg Steakhouse restaurant in the GTA.
Observers on shore said the man was seen swimming after friends on an inflatable mat about 3 p.m. At some point, members of the group realized the man was no longer visible, spurring a frantic search.
Some of the man’s co-workers found him under water and pulled him ashore.
Firefighters responded to reports of a person pulled from the water without vital signs about 3:22 p.m., said fire information officer Steve McCarthur.
An off-duty nurse, who didn’t want to give her name, said she ran over to offer aid. She said the man was under water “for what seemed like a long time,” but praised bystanders for performing CPR until paramedics arrived.
Paramedics also gave them a shout-out on Twitter.
“That’s the biggest thing you can do to buy someone time until we arrive,” said superintendent Dan Starr.
Many visitors remained unaware of the accident and continued swimming, just a few-dozen metres away. Crying co-workers hugged as they awaited news near the lake.
They declined to comment.