Inquest sought in local teen's drowning
Parents want answers in death of Josue Sebastian Perez
A coroner's inquest is being sought into the death of a 16-year-old East York boy who drowned in the Muskoka River last month.
Jorge Perez said his son's death could have been prevented and that the part of the river the teen was in is "very dangerous."
Josue Sebastian Perez was in Bracebridge with friends for a skateboarding event on July 26. After the event, they went to the Muskoka River near Wilson Falls. The area is close to a hydro generating station.
As Josue crossed the river just before 4 p.m., he was apparently sucked under the water.
Ontario Provincial Police's underwater search and recovery unit located the boy's body at 9 a.m. the next day.
Alan Preyra, the Perez family lawyer, said there is conflicting information about how the drowning occurred. "The parents want to know. They want some closure on this, to understand how their son came to his end."
Preyra said the local media reported there were heavy waters from rainfall and that Josue wasn't a good swimmer. The lawyer said Josue was in fact a strong swimmer and that there is information that there were eddies and whirlpools in the current coming downstream.
"The parents are concerned that if there is an unnatural danger...then perhaps something can be done to create a safe zone around it, to block it off, to put up better signs," he said. "It's certainly a senseless death, but it's not a situation where you can point to him (Josue) having done anything wrong."
Jorge said his son, an East York Collegiate Institute student, enjoyed skateboarding and swimming and had lots of friends.
"He was a good kid, very helpful in the community," he said. "He was just enjoying himself this summer."
A trust account has been set up to help cover the cost of the funeral, which was held on Saturday, and to raise awareness about the dangers of the Muskoka River near Wilson Falls.
Donations can be made at any TD Canada Trust branch. The account number is 63203771993.
