Canada Chief, Training Officer Charged in FF's Water-Rescue Training Death

The village of Point Edward, the fire chief and a training officer have been charged in the death of a firefighter who died during a training exercise earlier this year.

Volunteer Firefighter Gary Kendall, 51, became trapped under a large ice flow during ice-water rescue training at the Lake Huron shoreline on Jan. 30. He was pulled from the water but died the following day in the hospital.

The village, Fire Chief Doug MacKenzie, and Terry Harrison were charged under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act with "failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for protection of a worker."

MacKenzie faces an additional charge of failing to ensure an adequate safety plan was present. Harrison is also charged with failing to ensure an adequate pre-training hazard assessment was done and failing to have an adequate training plan, according to the report.

A court date has been set for Sept. 10.