Near drowning in Brantford

A Brantford teenager who nearly drowned in Lake Erie Tuesday remains in a medically induced coma. He was swimming at Long Point Beach when large waves and an undertow pulled him under water.

17-year old Robert Ryczak is still in the intensive care unit at Hamilton General Hospital tonight. His family is hoping for a speedy recovery.

His dad says Ryczak wasn’t drinking or partying at the beach. He was just swimming with a friend when the pair became overwhelmed by waves. His friend was taken ashore, but Ryczak was pulled underwater. When he resurfaced, he wasn’t breathing.

His father spoke by phone to say the family is overwhelmed but feels very grateful that two off-duty nurses were at the beach. They performed CPR on Ryczak before an ambulance arrived. He may owe his life to their quick action.

Now, doctors induced a coma because Ryczak was in extreme pain when he was brought into hospital. His dad says he is making progress.

The area where he was swimming has a strong undertow. Over the past several years, a number of people have drowned, or nearly drowned there.