One rescued, one presumed drowned near Cherry Beach

A civilian boater rescued one person near Cherry Beach on Wednesday, but a second man is presumed drowned after their inflatable dinghy deflated, Toronto police said Thursday.

Toronto Police Inspector Errol Watson confirmed that authorities are mounting a recovery effort involving dive teams and underwater drones to search for the missing man's body. "This is a tragic event," Watson told reporters.

Neither of the two men in the inflatable boat were wearing life jackets when it started to deflate. One man, in his 40s, was rescued along with a dog, but the other man was lost sight of as the vessel went down.

The Toronto police marine unit placed a drowning marker at the site and have been searching the area since the incident occurred. Police urge boaters to prioritize safety equipment, particularly life jackets, which remain underused despite their critical importance.