A Collingwood resident out with his family on Friday night saved the life of a 12-year-old boy who was swept into the bay and was drowning in the choppy water.
Derek Crespy said he noticed a commotion at Sunset Point on Friday, Aug. 9 around 4:45 p.m. He heard a woman screaming and saw someone trying to get a life ring into the water, and when he realized there was a child drowning, he climbed down the rocks and jumped into the water.
Crespy, a life-long and competitive open-water swimmer, kept his eyes on the boy while he swam the 100-metres or so toward him. The life ring he was taking with him got snagged on a rock.
"I had to make a call, and I just figured I have to get out there because he doesn't have long," said Crespy in a phone interview. "I just knew I had to get there as fast as I could and try to save him."
There were family members and other people on the shore watching, but Crespy said it didn't look like they were able to swim out to the boy.
The boy was drifting out further into the Bay when Crespy spotted him. The boy was bobbing above and then under the water. When Crespy reached him, the boy was underwater and Crespy grabbed the boy's hand.
"I wrapped my one arm around him and did a side stroke back with one arm while I held him with the other arm," said Crespy.
Crespy said the child seemed only semi-conscious as he pulled him toward the shore. A uniformed police officer and another person in plain clothes came out to meet Crespy and help bring the boy in.
The boy was tended to by paramedics and firefighters and taken to Collingwood General and Marine Hospital as a precautionary measure.
Crespy said it was a wavy day on the water. Police said in their report on the incident that the boy had been swept out by the waves and current. He was swimming off the point where the Inukshuk is, which is deeper water that would have easily been over the boy's head.
"It was pretty wavy out that day, and crazy," said Crespy. "I could definitely see how somebody with no experience would easily get swept away in conditions like that.
He had come with his family to the beach for a wave swim. His whole family are experienced swimmers, members of the Georgian Bay Squall Masters Swim Team and the Collingwood Clippers.
Crespy said the area where he rescued the boy is a dangerous spot because it's very deep and there are large rocks at the shore where the waves break.
"I'm really happy the boy is ok," said Crespy. "I was really happy to have been able to help out ... it could have been such a disastrous day ... just this beautiful day at the beach gone terribly wrong."
Crespy said he swims in Georgian Bay everyday along a few regular routes. As a teen he finished his lifesaver and Bronze medallion certifications, but he's never been part of a rescue before.
Drowning prevention, however, is important to Crespy, who sponsors a six-week free swim session at Centennial Pool annually.
"Water safety, especially somewhere like this, is so important," said Crespy.
Collingwood OPP is reminding the public to consider swimming conditions, avoid swimming alone and consider your swimming experience before entering the water.
For more information on swimming safety and how to find the right flotation device for yourself please visit the Government of Canada: Swimming safety: Choosing lifejackets and personal flotation devices (PFDs) (canada.ca)
