OPP recover body of missing swimmer in Leamington

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have recovered thebody of a 32-year-old swimmer from Leamington who was reported missing on Sunday.

The man was reported missing after he was seen struggling and didn't resurface whileswimming at the Leamington pier around7 p.m. ET.

Personnel from the OPP marine unit, Leamington fire and rescue and coast guard joined in the search but it had to be called off due to the weather conditions.

Police say they were able retrieve the body on Mondayafter receiving a call. At this time, police have not shared the identity of the swimmer.

"The OPP received a report from an eyewitness who saw somebody floating in the water and our OPP Essex County Detachment Marine unit arrived on scene and recovered the body of themissing swimmer," said Derek Rogers, regional media relations co-ordinator for the OPP.

Police can't say whether the man went swimming off the dock or was swimming from shore, but the dock,which is owned by the Ministry of Transportation, has signs that tell people not to swim or dive there.

Police say everyone should always pay attention to warning signs when swimming.

"We want everyone to be thinking about their safety on the water and if you are not a good swimmer, if you are in conditions that are rough and you may encounter some difficulty, we would encourage anyone to wear a life jacket, particularly for kids.Parents on the shore, we would want them to keep a vigil on their children at the shore."

A post-mortem will be conducted at a Windsor hospital.

Calls for safety measures

Former Leamington resident Pete Comriesaysmore safety precautions should be taken at Seacliff Beach as the areagrows in amenities andpopularity. He knows what it's like to lose a loved one out on the water.

In 2011, his brother was one of three people who died when their boat hit a breakwall at night.

After the tragedy, Comriepetitioned to make the breakwall safer. He now hopes more safety measures will come to the beach.

"The beach is very large and expansive, but there are no lifeguards on duty. So that's something that should happen, especially since the summer time," he said.

He also thinks having a patrol boat docked at the Leamington Marina would help quickly address any emergencies.