Twenty people were rescued from Lake Simcoe in Orillia during a wind storm Friday afternoon.
Shortly after 5 p.m., Orillia OPP said they believed everyone had been accounted for after canoes capsized on the choppy water, near Grape Island.
Some were rescued by helicopter, some by police boat, while others made it back to shore and were taken to hospital by ambulance, as a precaution. Const. Martin Hill was not aware of anyone having suffered serious injuries.
The strong wind was expected to last throughout the evening. Power outages have occurred in various parts of the city.
Branches and other debris were on the roads throughout town.
Some properties on the shore of Lake Simcoe were flooded, including on Victoria Crescent, southeast of Lankin Boulevard, where the water washed over the road.
There are usually plenty of people on the water at this time of year, as the Orillia Perch Festival is underway. It was unclear if any of those rescued Friday were taking part in the festival.
Hill urged boaters to wear life jackets, though he could not confirm whether those who were rescued were wearing life jackets at the time.
