Petition seeks better lighting at Leamington crash site

Angry and distraught onlookers at the scene of a fatal boating accident in Leamington started an on-site petition Monday afternoon calling for upgraded lighting at the scene of the crash.

Members of the crowd had filled in more than 15 pages of a petition in the wake of the latest accident which claimed the life of one person. Two more individuals are missing and feared dead and two others were pulled from the water last night and remain in hospital.

The crash took place just before 11 Sunday night when a 23-foot Mirage power boat struck the south side of a breakwall which is located 500 metres from the marina. OPP were alerted by an area resident who heard cries for help from the water.

Courtnay Ribble and Tammy Sumner were among two of those collecting signatures. Ribble said she knew those on the craft. "They were very great people, very nice. They were interested in boating just like we are."

Sumner said she, too, knew the victims "Everybody on that boat, there were all boaters. We're a very close-knit group."

Alen Antoniuk said Sunday's mishap happened, one year, one month and one day to the date of a crash at the same site.

In that incident a 32 foot craft hit the breakwall at about 1 a.m. Six people, including one child, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A crash a decade ago at the same site killed two people and seriouly injured two others.

Antoniuk said he agreed with the petition. "I know eight victims already taken by that breakwall over the last 15 years." he said. "Why don't they get solar lights out there that work all the time."

The father of one of the missing boaters described his son as a caring person who helped everyone he knew.

A distraught Edward Monteiro said Danny, his second oldest son, was on the boat which struck the south side of the Leamington Marina breakwall at about 11 p.m. last night.

He said his son was great with cars and would fix any problem for friends and family.

"Until I get my son back part of me says he's alive because he's a strong guy, " he said before breaking into tears and being led away by other family members.

Monteiro said his oldest son was in a boat which struck the breakwall about seven years ago. Among his injuries was a broken jaw but he has has fully recovered.

A 31-year-old Alberta woman and a 36-year-old Leamington woman were pulled from the water and taken to Hotel Dieu Hospital in Windsor. Police say the pair have broken bones but described the injuries as serious but not life-threatening.

One Thirsty Person To Another: The Power of Prayer

One of the most remarkable illustrations in recent times of the power of prayer, may be found in the experience of Mr. Moody.  It explains his unparalleled career of world-wide soul winning.  One marvels that more has not been said of it.  Its stimulus to faith is great.  I suppose the man most concerned did not speak of it much because of his fine modesty.  The last year of his life he referred to it more frequently as though impelled to. The last time I heard Mr. Moody was in his own church in Chicago.  It was, I think, in the fall of the last year of his life.  One morning in the old church made famous by his early work, in quiet conversational way he told the story.  It was back in the early seventies (1870’s), when Chicago had been laid in ashes.  “This building was not yet up far enough to do much in,” He said; “so I thought I would slip across the water, and learn what I could from preachers there, so as to do better work here.  I had gone over to London, and was running after men there.” Then he told of going one evening to hear Mr. Spurgeon in the Metropolitan Tabernacle; and understanding that he was to speak a second time that evening to dedicate a chapel, Mr. Moody had slipped out of the building and had run along the street after Mr. Spurgeon’s carriage a mile or so, as to hear the second time.  Then he smiled, and said quietly, “I was running around after men like that.” At the close among others who greeted him, one man, a minister, asked him to come and preach for him the next day, morning and night, and he said he would.  Mr. Moody said, “I went to the morning service and found a large church full of people.  And when the time came I began to speak to them.  But it seemed the hardest talking ever I did.  There was no response in their face.  They seemed as though carved out of stone or ice.  And I was having a hard time: and wished I wasn’t there; and wished I hadn’t promised to speak again at night.  But I had promised, and so I went." “At night it was the same thing: house full, people outwardly respectful but no interest, no response.  And I was having a hard time again.  When about half-way through my talk there came a change.  It seemed as though the windows of heaven had opened and a bit of breath blew down.  The atmosphere of the building seemed to change.

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