
London teen drowns, 12-year old rescued, at Ipperwash Beach
Police say an 18-year-old from London drowned at Ipperwash Beach on Monday afternoon trying to save his 12-year-old brother who was rescued by bystanders.
It happened at about 4 p.m. on Monday on the section of Ipperwash Beach about halfway between Ipperwash Road and Army Camp Road.
Police say the 12-year-old had drifted away from shore while using a floatation device. The 18-year-old went out into the water to help, and people on the beach noticed both were in distress. Bystanders were able to bring the 12-year-old back to shore and emergency crews were called.
After a search involving boats and jet skis, the 18-year-old was found and pulled from the water, but was unresponsive. CBC News has confirmed with members of the London mosque that the victim was Ahmad Ramez Halabi, an older sibling to the younger boy.
'I feel so bad' says witness
Mya McGowan was on the beach when it happened and said it took some time for the 18-year-old to be found after the boy was rescued.
"After about 15 or 20 minutes of searching, they found the girl and brought her back of the chief truck and they were doing compressions for about 15 minutes, CPR," she said. "They were doing that for quite a while. They drove down towards the boat launch while doing it and that's the last thing that we saw until they pulled away.
"I feel so bad, so terrible," said McGowan.
Jeff Hill came to the beach from a nearby cottage while the search was underway. He said conditions on the water were calm at the time and that the beach wasn't crowded.
"There wasn't a lot of people on the water and no one saw it until bad things happened," he said.
The agencies involved in the rescue included the Lambton County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Anishinabek Police Service, Lambton County Emergency Medical Services and Lambton Shores Fire and Emergency Services.
An OPP spokesperson said they would not be releasing the name of the person who died, only saying that they are from London.
"Our thoughts are with the family and everyone impacted by this tragic incident," said OPP Const. Jeanine Robertson.
It's already been a bad summer for drownings on the Great Lakes in the London area.
A 35-year-old Woodstock man drowned while swimming at Port Burwell on Lake Erie on June 22.
A day later, a child was rescued from Lake Huron near Goderich after drifting far from shore while on an inflatable device.
Halabi's funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
16 minutes ago
- CTV News
Woman wakes to find unknown man in her bed: EPS
Edmonton police have released the composite sketch of a man who fled the scene of a sexual assault in the Aster neighbourhood on May 28, 2025. (Source: EPS) The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is looking for a man who fled the scene of an assault after a woman woke up to find him in her bed. It happened in the Aster neighbourhood in southeast Edmonton at around 7 a.m. on May 28. According to police, the woman immediately left her home after finding the unknown man in her bed. The man was gone when she returned home. EPS released a composite sketch of the suspect and they hope to get help finding the man. Edmonton police release sketch of sexual assault suspect Edmonton police have released the composite sketch of a man who fled the scene of a sexual assault in the Aster neighbourhood on May 28, 2025. (Source: EPS) He is described as: Hispanic or south asian; possibly in his early 20s; clean shaven; and 5'6 to 5'7 tall with a slight build. Police said they believe this is an isolated incident. A canvas of surveillance video in the area was unsuccessful. Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts is asked to contact EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a cell phone. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go online.

CTV News
16 minutes ago
- CTV News
Former City of Ottawa lawyer pleads guilty to defacing National Holocaust Monument
The words 'FEED ME' are seen painted in red on the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS) A former City of Ottawa lawyer has pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief to a war memorial in connection with vandalism to the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. The words 'feed me' were painted on the side of the memorial west of downtown Ottawa on June 9. The paint was quickly removed, but the act prompted widespread condemnation from residents, Jewish groups, and political leaders. Ottawa police charged Iain Aspenlieder on June 27 with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct. The remaining two charges are being withdrawn. The Crown is consenting to his release on bail pending his sentence. Police did not initially release his name in a news release announcing his arrest, but he was identified in court documents. According to the Ontario Salary Disclosure list, Aspenlieder was a 'Legal Counsel' with the City of Ottawa. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in late June that Aspenlieder had been fired. 'The city's legal department has confirmed that the individual charged, who was on leave at the time of the incident, is no longer employed by the City of Ottawa,' Sutcliffe said on social media. The National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The monument was inaugurated by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in September 2017. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Joshua Marano


CTV News
16 minutes ago
- CTV News
Video captures boat theft in Meaford, police warn of recent increase in trailer thefts
A boat was stolen off a property in Meaford on Thursday afternoon, one of multiple recent trailer thefts in the area. Video surveillance shows two suspects in two separate vehicles drive onto the property near Grey Road 12 at around 2:11 p.m. The 20-foot Smoker Craft Phantom was on trailer at the time. The suspects exited a white Buick Enclave and blue Ford 250, attached the boat to the truck and drove off. Boat Theft Alert – Meaford, ON On Thursday, July 24 at around 2:11 p.m., a 20-foot Smoker Craft Phantom boat with a 175hp Suzuki motor was stolen from a property near Grey Road 12 in Meaford. Surveillance footage captured: Two suspects wearing red or pink shirts with tan or… — OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) July 25, 2025 This incident is one of multiple in the area, as police warn residents of an increase in trailer thefts. Thieves are taking utility, boat and enclosed cargo trailer from driveways, farm properties and business lots. Police urge residents to remain vigilant, even in rural areas.