Jason William Boulton - August 29, 1989 - Port Dalhousie, Ontario
- Terynn Boulton
- Aug 30
- 6 min read
Although he was only 15 years old, Jason William Boulton was an avid fisherman, often spending 10 to 12 hours a day angling. Port Dalhousie Harbour was open to anglers, and Jason usually fished at the end of the Port Dalhousie weir, well away from the dangerous currents and fast-moving water caused by the dam of the Heywood Generating Station. His father, Reginald Morris, often told Jason to steer clear of the dam due to its hazardous conditions.
Fishermen preferred the prohibited area of the Heywood Generating Station when fishing in Port Dalhousie
These same conditions meant it was also the best place to fish salmon, and many fishermen preferred to test their luck there. A fence at the shoreline was erected to prevent people from crossing onto the property surrounding this area, owned by Ontario Hydro. An attached fence strung over the water prevented people from getting around the first barrier. Despite numerous signs warning of dangerous currents, undertows, fast moving waters and the prosecution of trespassers, people cut the fence with bolt cutters or simply knocked it over, in order to access the area.
On August 29, 1989, Jason Boulton started fishing in his usual spot, well below the dam, but began working his way closer to the dam, taking more and more chances. When he reached the fence, it was already broken by previous trespassers. He was not the only fisherman in the prohibited area there that afternoon - 16-year-old Brent Beamer and 17-year-old John Vangroningen were there too. Jason found a concrete abutment near 12 Mile Creek, in the north east corner of the Heywood Generating Station, sat back on his heels, and began fishing.
The gates to the dam are usually closed when the generating station's two turbines are in operation. They were closed when Brent, John, and Jason had started fishing. Unbeknownst to them, one of the turbines had been shut down to be painted that day, and the water flow from Martindale Pond to the harbour was more than one turbine could handle. At 2:40 pm, five minutes after the gates were opened, Jason Boulton lost his footing and fell into the water. One of three youths, all of whom were believed to have just been passing by when the accident occurred, immediately reached out his hand and yelled at Jason to grab it, but he was struggling in the water. The three youths then fled the area.
Brent grabbed a fishing net, leaned over the sloped abutment, and hung the net over the water for Jason to grab. While Brent tried to save Jason, John ran to a nearby bait and tackle shop to call 911. Brent said, "He didn't look up. He was trying to get his head up for air. He was frantic. There was no way he could swim back. The current was just too strong."
Jason was pulled by the current towards a control dam before disappearing under the water.
An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) dive team searched the water near the weir while the Canadian Coast Guard, the Niagara Police Marine Unit, St. Catharine's firefighters, and private boaters searched the harbour. At this point, searchers did not know the person they were looking for was a 15-year-old named Jason Boulton. His parents did not report him missing until that night, when he failed to show up at home, as it was not unusual for Jason to spend the day fishing and then go to a friend house. When they received notice that Jason was missing, police thought it was likely Jason who had fallen into the water. Original newspaper reports described him as a youth between 10 and 14 years old wearing a red shirt, navy shorts, and running shoes. Some missing persons sights say Jason was visiting Youngstown, New York so is listed as missing from there, even though these same sites say he is presumed drowned in Twelve Mile Creek (which is by the Heywood Generating Station in Port Dalhousie).
Dragging operations continued until at least August 31, 1989, according to news reports, but Jason was never found. All his family could do was wait for his body to resurface, which his father told reports was a terrible burden on the family.
On Saturday, September 9, 1989, with Jason's father watching from shore, a volunteer team of 14 divers organized by Dan Mandziuk of Dan's Dive Shop set out to find Jason. They had been approached by Jason's family for help after Niagara Regional Police refused to search the harbour because of treacherous currents and dangerous underwater pilings.
To aid in the search, The St. Catharine's Hydro Electric Commission turned off its generators at 8:50 am. The divers scoured more than 90% of the area at the foot of the damn before the generators were started back up an hour later.
With ropes connecting them to helpers on shore, the divers searched the eastern bank of the harbour all the way to the Port Dalhousie Yacht Club until 11:30 am.
Mark Dixon, 27, one of the volunteer divers told reporters "you can't see past your arm. The bottom is dark as midnight, close to zero visibility, and not even a flashlight is much help." Unfortunately the search did not find Jason or any signs of him. Still waiting for his body to surface, Jason's father told reporters that if Jason did not resurface by Friday (September 15, 1989), the family would arrange for a funeral service.
Unfortunately, Jason's body was never recovered.
The obituary for Jason William Boulton, born May 15, 1974 was published on September 15, 1989 in The Standard.
His name is engraved on the headstone of his grandparents, both of whom passed away after their grandson.
On September 2, 1989, four days after Jason is presumed to have drown, a body was found floating in Lake Ontario, off the west pier at Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie. Police investigated to see if this was Jason. It was not. Unfortunately at the time of this writing I have been unable to find a report stating who the person was.
I have included this information to give you an idea of one place Jason's body could have ended up. Lake Ontario is one of five Great Lakes in North America. On the north, west, and southwest it is bordered by the Canadian province of Ontario, the major cities being Kingston, Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catharines, which is where Jason was from. On the south and east, Lake Ontario is bordered by the American state of New York, the major cities being Rochester and Watertown. The Canada-United States border spans the centre of the lake. Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean, via the Saint Lawrence River.
Although Jason's family may know what happened to their son, he remains missing. Those of you captivated by unsolved mysteries and who are part of the true crime community know that there are unidentified remains waiting to be identified. Or if Jason has not yet been found but someday is found, he may remain unidentified if no one knows he is missing or understands exactly where his body may have ended up. So please share Jason's story in the hopes he may someday be found.
If you have information on this case, please contact any of the following:
Niagara Regional Police Service 905-688-4111Reference Case#: 1989-100360
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tipCrime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping
Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at: canadasmissing-disparuscanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
RESOURCES:
Port Dalhousie Aerial View You Tube Video from January 2016 - excellent view of entire area and the waters where Jason's body could be
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