A 41 year old Kingsville man died after trying to save his son in Lake Erie near Cedar Island.
The OPP, Kingsville Fire Department and Essex Windsor EMS all responded to a report of a missing boater in the waters of Lake Erie near Cedar Island around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police say Tyson Koehn, 41, was operating a small vessel with four children onboard and entered the water to assist one of the children who was swimming and appeared to be struggling.
According to the OPP, Koehn himself began to struggle and went under water.
All four children were rescued by a nearby boat and a citizen on shore who swam out to assist.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family said that Koehn's seven-year-old son Trenton was struggling in the water and that's when he went in to assist him. While holding Trenton above the water. Koehn began to sink and went under, not resurfacing.
A search was conducted by the OPP Marine Unit, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Trenton and a United States Coast Guard helicopter and vessel.
Police say the man was located in the water a short time later and EMS administered CPR.
Koehn was transported to hospital but was pronounced deceased.
A close friend tells CTV News Koehn was enjoying a day off when the winds picked up on the lake and things turned tragic.
The goal of the GoFundMe page is to raise $500,000 to support Koehn's wife and their five children.
