Kidston Lake in the community of Spryfield closed on Friday after a young boy drowned on Thursday evening.
Halifax Regional Police say the boy was swimming with friends when the incident occurred. Despite his friends' attempts to save him, they weren't able to locate the 15-year-old. First responders were called to the scene, but they faced weather-related challenges.
"We had a heavy thunderstorm move in, which made it really unsafe to be on the water," said assistant chief of Halifax Fire and Emergency, Chuck Bezanson. "So both the boat and divers were withdrawn from that until the storm passed by."
RCMP divers were eventually able to locate the boy's body. His family has asked that his identity not be released.
The city of Halifax has spoken about the tragedy, saying it is a reminder that water-related accidents can happen at any time to anyone. Sending condolences, the city closed the lake out of respect for the young boy and his family, but still took precautions.
"The lifeguards are there today on-site to ensure that nobody is going into the water and to speak with any residents on water safety that may have questions," said Maggie-Jane Spray.
Meanwhile, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency says it is providing a critical incident stress debriefing for members who were on the scene helping to locate the youth.
Both police and fire officials say they have closed their investigation into the accident.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Natasha Pace
