Emergency crews have recovered the body of a man who jumped into a Brampton lake Saturday to help rescue his daughter who fell in, Peel police confirm.

Crews were called to Professor's Lake on North Park Drive at around 11:20 a.m. Saturday for a medical assistance call.

Peel police said the man, who is believed to be in his 40s, was there with his two daughters, ages five and 10, who were playing near the water.

When one of the girls lost their footing and slipped into the water, the father went in after her. While the young girl did make it out of the lake safely, her father did not, police said.

Divers scoured the lake for much of the afternoon but at around 3:30 p.m., crews determined that the search would be a recovery effort. The man's body was found at around 5 p.m.

Const. Thomas Ruttan told reporters at the scene that the area where the man's children were playing was not designated for swimming.

"There is a rock at the edge of what may be a fairly steep cliff under the water and it is possible that he may not have realized this and when he slipped into the water, he was unable to get back out as a result of that," he said.

Ruttan called the incident an "unfortunate tragedy."

"It happens a few times every year and needlessly so, I think," he said. 

"I think one of the things we need to be cognizant of is if we are not strong swimmers, we need to stick to an area that is safe for us." 

When asked about the conditions at the lake Saturday, Ruttan described the water as "calm."

"It may give somebody a false sense of security because it is not such a large lake," Ruttan said.

In a written statement released Saturday evening, Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey offered her condolences to the family of the victim.

"I am deeply saddened at the sudden tragic loss of life that resulted from the accident at Professor’s Lake today. On behalf of my Council colleagues and all residents of the City of Brampton, I extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the victim’s family. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time," the statement read.

"I also want to thank the brave staff who responded so quickly to this situation. This tragedy serves to remind all citizens that whenever you are close to bodies of water to exercise caution."

The victim's name has not yet been released.

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