Grieving mom considers private prosecution in son's drowning death

A grieving mother continues to look for answers after her young son drowned in Penetanguishene in September.

Melissa Coombs says she’s disappointed that Southern Georgian Bay OPP officers aren’t recommending charges related to the Sept. 15 incident that left Isaac Coombs Howran dead.

“I was pushing for charges,” said Coombs, who recently received a coroner’s report confirming drowning as the cause of her 12-year-old son’s death. “He should never have been left alone. He was left unsupervised.”

She says Isaac and his brother were brought to Huronia Park in Penetanguishene by an adult.

Just before noon on Sept. 15, a 911 call was received by emergency services, requesting assistance in locating a youth who was last seen swimming at the park and became lost from view.

From there, Southern Georgian Bay OPP officers, including the marine unit, as well as Penetanguishene firefighters arrived and immediately began a search of the vicinity on land and water.

The search continued into the evening and, at about 7:15 p.m., members of the OPP’s underwater search and recovery unit along with firefighters located and recovered the young boy’s body.

Coombs says the incident should never have happened, given that Isaac didn’t know how to swim and would usually wear a life jacket when she took him swimming with his brothers.

While she says Southern Georgian Bay OPP have told her no charges will be laid since they’ve deemed it a “tragic accident,” Coombs said she’s working to gather evidence to move forward with a private prosecution.

Under this provision of the province’s justice system, citizens can apply to lay a criminal charge by filing an application with the Ontario Court of Justice.

“The whole police investigation was very unprofessional and they lacked skills. They’re just not very good detectives,” said Coombs.

Before moving ahead with her private prosecution application, Coombs plans to file a freedom-of-information request to get the police investigator’s notes on the case and will pursue other agency files as well.

“I’m not going to stop speaking out,” she said.

The incident has also had a lasting effect on Isaac’s 11-year-old brother, Owen, who was at the park that warm September day.

“He’s suffering from seeing his brother die,” Coombs said, adding Owen regularly has moments of panic and anxiety as he keeps reliving the incident. “His whole life is upside down right now. He has survivor’s guilt.”

Coombs, who has three other sons, says she hasn't been able to work since Isaac’s death.

“It’s been very tough,” said Coombs, who runs her own salon. “It just feels like a nightmare.”