Eastern Ontario Provincial Police have arrested one person in connection with a boating collision that killed three people over the Victoria Day long weekend.

Five others were injured in the crash in the Buck Bay area of ​​Bobs Lake, about an hour north of Kingston, around 9:30 p.m. on May 18. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said the collision involved a “fishing-style boat” and a motorboat.

On Tuesday, OPP Const. Rob Martell confirmed that one person is in custody and is due to appear in court in Kingston on Wednesday.

He did not share their identities or the charges they face, but said during a brief interview Tuesday afternoon that more details would be announced the next day.

The OPP issued a press release Tuesday saying a “significant development” in the case will be announced during a press conference outside the OPP’s Frontenac detachment at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The OPP’s major case manager is expected to share more information about the arrest and answer questions at that time. The update follows five months with several public updates from investigators.

In an email to the CBC earlier this month, Martell said “great progress” had been made in the case, but said no charges had been filed at that time. Martell indicated that he “fully” understood the public’s interest in the case.

Family ‘absolutely gutted’ by loss

Riley Orr, 23, Kaila Bearman, 21, and Juliette Côté, 22, died in the collision.

Orr’s obituary described him as a good friend to many with a “huge, kind heart” and the ability to light up a room with his smile.

Bearman’s smile has also been described as a bright spot in the lives of loved ones.

“We will not let the darkness overcome the light, joy, determination and passion that was this beautiful young lady.” her obituary reading.

In an interview with CBC, Côté’s family described her as a “force” who was both strong and genuinely loving.

Juliette Côté, 22, ran a successful home staging company with her mother, had just graduated from the College of St. Lawrence and was about to take the final real estate license exam. She was killed along with two others in a boat collision north of Kingston, Ontario on May 18, 2024. (Submitted by the Côté family)

“You’re absolutely gutted,” her mother, Alison Côté, explained in May. “You feel like a part of you just disappeared. Basically, we’re going to resume our lives from now on.”

The Côtés said their daughter enjoyed the long Victory Day weekend at a friend’s family’s cabin on Bobs Lake. In text messages that morning, Côté told her parents that the group was walking around the lake, playing and listening to music.

“It’s a comfort to us to know that she had an amazing day for her last day,” Alison Côté said.