Police divers find body in Belwood Lake
Sathees Gnanenthiran, of Brampton, had gone missing during a swim with three other men
FERGUS — The Brampton man whose body was recovered from Belwood Lake has been identified as Sathees Gnanenthiran, 31.
His body was recovered from the lake northwest of Fergus at about 12:30 p.m. on Monday after an extensive search that spanned two days.
He was one of four men — three of them brothers — who went boating on the lake Sunday afternoon. Gnanenthiran jumped into the water for a swim, but quickly began struggling to stay afloat, according to OPP Const. Joshua Cunningham.
His older brother jumped into the water to try to save him, but he, too, began to struggle, according to Cunningham.
A motorist, a young man in the military reserves, jumped in and pulled the older brother to safely, but Gnanenthiran disappeared under the water.
Wellington County fire and rescue launched two boats along with the OPP and searched the lake for the missing man until dusk on Sunday when they were forced to postpone the search until the next morning.
The OPP underwater search and rescue team used sonar to locate his body, which was discovered at about 11:30 a.m. Divers recovered his body and his family was on scene to identify him, according to police.
The coroner will determine the cause of death, but police say there is no indication at this time that drugs or alcohol played any role.
Police said the incident is a reminder to everyone about the dangers of water.
“No matter how good you are as a swimmer, we are all capable of drowning,” Cunningham said.
Life jackets should always be worn, and “it really could save your life.”