The Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-08-12, Page 1010 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Body of Goderich's Lucas Johnson recovered from Kincardine pier by OPP divers
Troy Patterson
Kincardine News
Ontario Provincial Police divers
pulled the body of Lucas Johnson,
16, of Goderich, from what his fam-
ily said was a "hole in the side of
the pier" along the steel pilings of
Kincardine's south pier on Aug. 4,
2015.
Johnson's family from Kincar-
dine, Goderich and elsewhere
nearby were gathered at the scene
speaking with OPP divers waiting
for the teen's body to be taken off
the pier by police.
An OPP helicopter had landed
on the south pier shortly after 3
p.m., while half a dozen OPP offic-
ers stood with Lucas' body while
they prepared him for transport.
"He was uncompromisingly
himself at all times," his older
brother Fox Johnson, said at the
scene. "He was always who he
wanted to be, at all times."
Fox said his family looked for-
ward to a vigil scheduled for Tues-
day night at Station Beach. That
night, a bagpiper played Amazing
Grace and hundreds turned out to
support the family on the beach.
Fox said Lucas was a opinion-
ated, "obsessed" with science fic-
tion and a "wiz" at many subjects
in school, such as science.
"He was pretty talented in
regards to writing, constructing
stories and all these worlds inside
his head," said Fox. "He was very
analytical about so much."
Fox reminisced at how his
brother came up with various plot
lines to the new Terminator film
after they saw it together, and said
Lucas had many ideas about the
new Star Wars film he wanted to
see this year.
"His imagination, he applied it to
everything," he said.
Though they argued and clashed
like most siblings do, Fox said they
shared a room in their apartment
and were closer because of it. Both
of them had girlfriends, he said,
and were able to have their own
lives while sharing the same space.
"You'd think that we'd grow apart
and we'd have our own individual
lives, but with us sharing a room
we were a lot closer than a lot of
people that age would be," he said.
"When you'd see us on the streets
or in those moments when we'd
walk along side each other to
classes in school, it was apparent
that even though we had incredibly
different facial features and body
builds ... we were brothers."
Though he doesn't know the cir-
cumstances surrounding his broth-
er's death, Fox said he hopes young
people will look at situations, like
swimming in a dangerous area,
cautiously and think twice.
"If you're not comfortable with
something, don't be doing it," said
Fox. "My brother wasn't the strong-
est swimmer. He enjoyed going to
the beach a lot, but was never a
good swimmer and always stuck to
the shallow side of the water."
Lucas went missing shortly
before 3 p.m. Sunday while swim-
ming off the south pier with friends
at Kincardine's Station Beach.
While Johnson's body was being
retrieved in the pier Tuesday, four
young girls swam in the waves near
a rip current warning sign.
Kincardine firefighters had
searched the water next to the pier
Monday, but were forced to with-
draw as a massive wind and
Steve Goetz/Kincardine News
Family, friends and the public gathered on Station Beach to honour the life of Lucas Johnson, a 16 -year-old from Goderich
who drowned off the south pier. The social media organized vigil was attended by more than 200, Aug. 4, 2015. Pictured:
People took turns placing candles around a cross staked on the beach.
electrical storm came into the area
with rain and hail.
Friends of the missing teen and
many others were ushered off the
south pier as a massive storm
rolled into the shoreline area, cre-
ating larger waves as firefighters
with the search and rescue unit
waited for the weather to improve.
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Firefighters were joined in the
search by the South Bruce OPP
marine unit, which could be seen
out among in the swells, rain and
wind, along with the OPP West
Region Emergency Response Team.
the OPP Underwater Search and
Rescue Unit and OPP Marine Unit,
along with officers on shore, spent
Monday and Tuesday searching for
Lucas' body.
Johnson's aunt, Dorrie Coulter
said while the family has waited for
news while gathering at Station
Beach, many people approached
them to offer help, condolences
and prayers.
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"Everyone's been marvellous,
the police, firefighters, everyone,"
she said.
Coulter said a mother with a lit-
tle girl approached the family on
the beach and asked if it was safe
for her and her friends to jump off
the pier when they came to visit.
"She said no," Coulter said of
Johnson's mother.
The family has launched an
online page where the public can
offer donations to help out the fam-
ily with unexpected costs during this
time of mourning. Over $8,700 had
been raised as of Friday. For info
visit.
The body of 16 -year-old Lucas
Johnson of Goderich was pulled from
beneath the Kincardine Station Beach
pier by police divers, shortly after
3 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2015. A vigil was
held to honour Johnson's memory at
Station Beach tonight.