Man drowns at St. Malo Provincial Park

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This article was published 10/08/2014 (4418 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 19-year-old man from Rosenort drowned at St. Malo Provincial Park Beach Saturday, RCMP confirm.

Calvin Dueck was swimming with friends when he died, a spokesman from the Winkler Flyers confirmed to The Carillon in Steinbach Sunday morning.

Dueck graduated from Rosenort School in 2013. He was a prospect of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winkler Flyers and played baseball with the Altona Bisons of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League, the Carillon reported.

Dueck is survived by his father, RM of Morris councillor Mervin Dueck, mother Susan, three brothers and one sister, the paper said.

A STARS air ambulance was dispatched about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, a STARS spokesman said in an email to the Free Press Sunday. The spokesman said the helicopter was originally dispatched “for a drowning incident involving a teenage male” but the flight was redirected to Steinbach as the patient was taken by ground ambulance.

In a release, RCMP said emergency services were called to St. Malo Provincial Park Beach about 4:15 p.m. Saturday. A 19-year-old man, who RCMP said came from the RM of Morris, came “under distress while swimming.” He was taken from the water and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Twitter postings offered condolences on the death of Dueck.

“RM Morris council, staff, and families extend condolence to councillor Merv Dueck, wife Susan and family on the tragic death of son Calvin,” tweeted Ralph Groening, the reeve of the RM of Morris, Sunday.

“Thoughts and prayers go out to the Dueck family and friends on the tragic loss of Calvin. Great young man, ball player and hockey player,” Kim Groen tweeted.

“RIP Calvin thoughts go out to the rest of the Dueck family,” tweeted AJ Nychuk.

St. Malo was the scene of two other drownings in recent years. A two-year-old boy from Kleefeld drowned in St. Malo Lake in July 2009, a tragedy that led to a call for lifeguards at the lake about 75 kilometres south of Winnipeg along Highway 59.

A 13-year-old boy drowned in St. Malo Lake in August 2008.