Skater drowns after going through ice on Trout Lake: OPP

AWERES TOWNSHIP – Police say a body has been recovered after a skater went through the ice on a lake north of the Sault earlier today.

The deceased has been identified as Andre Rausch, 58, of Sault Ste. Marie.

According to police, shortly after 12:15 p.m., officers from the Sault Ste. Marie OPP, Aweres Fire Station, Goulais Fire and Rescue and Sault Ste. Marie Paramedic Services responded to a report of a person who was ice skating and went through the ice on Trout Lake in front of a residence on Point Road in Aweres Township.

Emergencies services recovered the body in the water and life-saving techniques were attempted, however the person was pronounced deceased at the scene, the OPP said in a news release.

The investigation is ongoing under the direction of the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCC-OFPS).

A post-mortem examination will be taking place in Sault Ste. Marie at a later date.

The death comes just days after a 60-year-old man died after going through the ice near Sudbury, and two young skaters drowned after going through the ice on the Rideau River in Ottawa.

The incidents have prompted police to reissue safety warnings about unsafe ice conditions due to mild weather.