UofT student, 18, drowns at camp

A popular annual camp for engineering students from the University of Toronto has been cut short following the fatal drowning of an 18-year-old student from Mississauga.

Emergency responders were called Tuesday around 4:45 p.m. to the UofT Survey Camp on Gull Lake near Minden, about 200 kilometres northeast of Toronto.

The teen was pulled from the lake and transported by paramedics to the Haliburton Highlands Health Services hospital in Minden, where he was pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Peter Leon of Haliburton Highland OPP detachment.

“I understand he was in the water with friends; he became separated from them, at which point they made an attempt to locate their friend and removed him from the water immediately and started with first aid themselves,” he said.

The body has since been taken to the coroner’s office in Toronto for a post mortem examination. The name of the deceased has not been released, pending the investigations, said Leon.

In a news release posted on its website Wednesday, the university said the student who drowned was with others taking part in an engineering course.

Cristina Amon, dean of faculty of applied science and engineering, sent a message to staff and students, in which she announced the cancellation of this week’s programming at the camp. Students who were participating in it returned Tuesday night, she said.

“Today, our attention must be with those affected by this terrible tragedy.

“The thoughts of our entire community are with the family and friends of the student who died,” she wrote.

The camp, built on the 175acre property that UofT purchased in 1919, has operated since 1920.

For two weeks every year over the summer, it trains undergraduate civil and mineral engineering students in land surveying and engineering project management.

At the camp, students, who are about to start their third year, get hands-on skills in topographic mapping, route and construction surveying, as well as concepts like GPS (global positioning systems), integrated water system and geology.

The camp is equipped with a bunkhouse for student’s accommodation, a staff cottage for professors and teaching assistants, as well as a teaching facility for lectures and tutorials.

However, the majority of the work is carried out in the field.