Two females, believed to be in their early teens, nearly made a fateful mistake as a strong wind pushed them out into Kempenfelt Bay, about 100 feet from shore.
This occurred shortly after 6:30 Thursday evening.
Barrie police say the females were non-swimmers and had no lifejackets, but had a phone and were able to alert first responders. The teens said they were in an inflatable floatie near Centennial Beach when the wind suddenly picked up and blew them further from shore.
A citizen at the waterfront called police to describe what appeared to be a single-person floatie, and the females were being blown out into open water and they were not wearing lifejackets.
A third call alerted police that an individual on a personal watercraft was assisting the teens. The person brought them ashore at the Tiffin Boat launch, where police were on scene.
Police are praising the assistance of the callers who contacted them and the personal watercraft operator who brought the girls to shore before the storm hit.
"Police are reminding everyone who visits and uses the waters of Kempenfelt Bay (Lake Simcoe) to always use caution and, if you are not a strong swimmer, to always wear a life jacket or personal floatation device. Police also warn that weather conditions, especially at this time of year, can change quickly, and if you see or hear that inclement weather is approaching, get out of the water as soon as possible," police stated in a news release.
