The vehicle crashed through the ice and plunged to the bottom of the waterway as the mercury dipped to -22C with the windchill
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An 18-year-old man is dead after a Jeep collided with a pickup truck and fell into the icy waters of the Keating Channel on Saturday morning.
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It’s believed the Jeep driver was under the frigid water for upwards of four hours before he was pulled out.
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Toronto Police say the victim was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound on Lake Shore Blvd. E., just west of Don Roadway, while a 32-year-old man was driving a Ford F150 eastbound on Lake Shore Blvd. E., east of Cherry Street shortly after 8:40 a.m.
Police say the driver of the Jeep lost control of his vehicle and struck the Ford. The Jeep then left the road and fell into the Don River.
The vehicle broke through the ice and became “submerged” in the water, police said earlier in a message posted on X.
Emergency crews responded but with the temperature dipping to about -22C with the windchill, the channel quickly began to freeze over again, hampering the rescue effort.
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In a desperate attempt to save the motorist, first responders did their best to break up the ice in the Keating Channel – a 1,000-metre long waterway connecting the Don River to the Toronto Harbour on Lake Ontario.
Toronto Fire Capt. Deepak Chagger said when crews arrived at the scene they spotted one person in the water who they were unable to rescue.
Toronto Fire reportedly later confirmed the rescue effort had become a recovery operation.
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Media reported the driver was still inside the vehicle when it was pulled from the channel after several hours under water.
However, later in the afternoon police revealed the shocking news that the driver was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition.
“A person, who is believed to be the driver of the submerged vehicle, has been recovered from the water,” said police on X. “Life-saving measures are in progress.”
“Medics have transported the person to hospital,” police added.
In an update late Saturday afternoon, cops announced the driver died in hospital. The investigation is ongoing.
Police are asking local residents, businesses, and drivers, who may have security or dash camera footage of the area or incident, to contact investigators at 416-808-1900.
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