Hot, humid holiday-weekend temperatures drove people to the beaches along the Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent ‑ but by Monday few people were even venturing near the water in some areas.

As far as the eye could see there were dead and decaying fish along beaches in or near Rondeau and as far east as the municipal border.

Frank van den Boorn of Ridgetown told The Daily News Monday he went to Rondeau to swim with his children late last week.

“There was a really strong odour, not a fishy smell, almost a manure smell, and we waded to our chest and I said to the kids we're got to get out of here, there is something wrong with the water,”

van den Boorn recalled.

When he returned to the beach on Monday to check it out again, he found thousands of dead fish washed up on shore.

“I'm surprised I'm just finding out now,” he said.

Van den Boorn said the lake water had had a brown colour floating on it last week.

He cupped some water in his hand before getting out.

“I scooped up a handful of water and once (I) got out you could still smell the body stench on it,” he recalled.

“I just couldn't believe people were letting their kids swim in it. I didn't contact anyone, I just left making the assumption authorities would be done here,” he said.

When The Daily News contacted the Ministry of Environment, a manager of communication replied by e-mail that the ministry was monitoring the situation.

“The ministry has been at the site over the weekend ... taking fish and water samples and monitoring water quality,” Kate Jordan wrote.

“The cause is yet to be determined but we have not seen any evidence of a spill or pollution in the area to date,” Jordan added.

The Daily News learned people were resorting to burying hundreds of fish carcases in some areas.

Local resident Ken Bell said the species included carp, sheepshead, yellow perch, catfish and suckers.

“All of them are near-shore fish and feed on the bottom,” Bell said.

Neville Knowles told The Daily News he and family went down to a beach in Rondeau Provincial Park Friday night to watch the full moon rise out of the lake when they were met by “a horrendous smell.”

“It was rank, so profoundly rank, that it was difficult to stay down there and the next morning we woke up to the smell,” Knowles said.

“I'm shocked nothing was done. The beach was full of people,” van den Boorn said.

Calls to Rondeau Provincial Park were not returned as of press time Monday night.

Jordan said the Ministry of Environment will work closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment Canada and Chatham-Kent Public Health “as decisions are made on any needed next steps.”

vicki.gough@sunmedia.ca

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