Businessman Kevin O’Leary, formerly with TV’s Dragon’s Den and now on the U.S. show Shark Tank, has confirmed he was a passenger in a boat involved in a fatal crash in Ontario cottage country on Saturday night. A man from Florida died the night of the crash, and an Ontario woman who was injured died late Tuesday.
Collision occurred on Lake Joseph in central Ontario on Saturday around 11:30 p.m. ET
CBC News ·
Two people are dead after a boat crash in Ontario’s Muskoka region where businessman and Shark Tank television personality Kevin O’Leary was one of the passengers.
Ontario Provincial Police have identified the two as Gary Poltash, 64, from Florida and Susanne Brito, 48, from Uxbridge, Ont.
Poltash died Saturday following the crash, and Brito, who was critically injured, died late Tuesday.
Three other people were taken to hospital with injuries and have since been released.
The collision occurred around 11:30 p.m. ET near Emerald Island on Lake Joseph, a popular destination in the region about 215 km north of downtown Toronto, provincial police said.
In a statement from his publicist, O’Leary said he was a “passenger in a boat that was involved in a tragic collision with another watercraft.
“I am fully co-operating with law enforcement in their investigation,” O’Leary said.
‘Prayers and condolences’
The statement said the other boat did not have its navigation lights on and it “fled the scene,” though provincial police did not confirm any of those details in a news release.
“Out of respect for the victims families and to fully support the ongoing investigation I feel it is inappropriate to make further comments at this time. My heartfelt prayers and condolences to the victims, the families and those affected by this loss,” O’Leary said.
The businessman and former Dragons’ Den star on CBC made a bid for the Canadian Conservative leadership race before dropping out in 2017. He now appears on the ABC show Shark Tank in the United States.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward.
