13-year-old Hamilton girl drowns at Wildwood Conservation Area

A 13-year-old Hamilton girl is dead after becoming lost in the water at the beach at Wildwood Conservation Area, just east of St. Marys, Ont., on Sunday evening.

Stratford police were called shortly before 7 p.m. ET and arrived to search the Wildwood reservoir alongside the St. Marys fire department.

The girl was found under the water within the designated swimming area of the reservoir about an hour later.

"Lifesaving efforts were made, however, the female was unable to be saved, and she passed away as a result of drowning," Stratford police said in a statement.

The girl was visiting the conservation area with her family from Hamilton, officials said. Her name has not been released.

The drowning is the latest this summer in southwestern Ontario. At the beginning of July, an 18-year-old drowned at Ipperwash Beach while trying to save his 12-year-old brother.

On June 22, a 35-year-old Woodstock man drowned while swimming at Port Burwell. A day later, a child was rescued from Lake Huron near Goderich after drifting far from shore on an inflatable device.

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death for Canadian children and often happens quickly and silently, the Hamilton Health Sciences hospital said in a statement.

This week is National Drowning Prevention Week.