Charges laid in boating accident that killed Kitchener girl

DRAYTON - Charges have been laid in a boating accident that killed a Kitchener girl.

Tania Yonan, 13, died after being hit by a boat on Conestogo Lake, near Drayton, last July 26. OPP previously said she was on a boat and somehow ended up in the water. Investigators at the time were trying to determine whether she fell or jumped into the water.

Rescuers pulled Yonan out of the water and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Brampton man, 60, has been charged with operating a vessel in a careless manner, operating a vessel in an unsafe manner, and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure safety of craft and persons on board, OPP said in a news release Wednesday. The charges are under the Canada Shipping Act.

The man will appear in Guelph court on Feb. 12.

A family friend of Yonan's created an online fundraiser to help her family pay for her funeral.

The GoFundMe post describes her as an amazing girl ... a friend, a sister, a daughter, a loved family member" who was outgoing, ambitious, kind and loving.

She was at the beach enjoying a sunny day with her family on the boat," the post reads. She was smiling, laughing, and the joy in her eyes was enlightening. Later that evening, we lost our precious girl to such a tragic incident."