A man in his 70s has died after falling through the thin ice near Toronto Island, local police say.

Toronto police said that around 9 a.m. on Friday, the man fell through the ice on Lake Ontario off the edge of Toronto Island into the waters beneath where he died.

His body was recovered near Lagoon Road and Centre Island Parkway.

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Police offered no more details of the incident but repeated warnings to stay off ice on large bodies of water, particularly in city centres.

https://x.com/TorontoPolice/status/1877792584279458011

“In big city areas there’s a lot going on under the ice that can make it weaker than it appears to be,” PC Kevin Lee from Toronto police’s marine unit said in a video shared by the force.

“Most of the open water areas in Toronto that freeze collect water from the storm management system or have warm water outfloors. Adding road salts and warmer water can weaken the ice from the bottom up.”

Ice has started to form on Lake Ontario and other parts of the city after the first major cold snap of the season.