The 29-year-old Bancroft resident killed in a watercross racing incident at Pinestone resort in Haliburton on Sunday (Sept. 27) is being remembered as a man who put others ahead of himself.
Thomas Yanch was the victim of the fatal collision, which occurred on the second day of the Ontario Watercross Racing Association’s (OWRA) annual fall gathering in Haliburton. Club president, Carm Sawyer, said the incident happened in the early afternoon.
“It was a complete accident,” Sawyer said, speaking on behalf of the OWRA board. He noted Yanch’s machine – a modified snowmobile that skips and jumps across the water – started to sink mid-race. He was then struck by another racer.
“I know guys all over the world that are racing and nobody has ever had an incident like this,” Sawyer said. “It was just a fluke, a complete fluke.” He confirmed it was the first major injury or death recorded at an OWRA event.
Yanch was an experienced racer, Sawyer said, and a longtime OWRA member. He and his family were staples of the racing community, Sawyer added.
When he wasn’t racing a snowmobile or dirt bike, Yanch enjoyed hunting. He was an HVAC technician in Bancroft and a volunteer firefighter with the Hastings Highlands Fire Department. Flags were lowered to half-mast in Bancroft and Highlands East in remembrance of Yanch.
Firefighter ‘exemplified very best of public service’
Highlands East paid tribute in a statement on Monday.
“Tom served our community with dedication, courage and an unwavering commitment to public safety. His contributions and spirit will be remembered with profound gratitude… his dedication to protecting others exemplified the very best of public service,” the township said.
Haliburton Highlands OPP told The Highlander officers arrived shortly before 1:30 p.m., but Yanch was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the collision was conducted with assistance from the OPP Central Region Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (TIME) team.
Ashley Taylor, the OPP’s central region media and communications co-ordinator, confirmed no charges have been laid in relation to the incident.
Asked about OWRA’s safety protocols, Sawyer said officials hold a drivers’ meeting each morning to go through how the race will run and communicate rules to participants.
Any time someone falls into the water, or their vehicle submerges, they’re supposed to raise their arms and alert the nearest official. In case of emergency, officials use a horn that alerts other racers and on-site paramedics. Anytime a racer is vulnerable in the water, other drivers are supposed to complete wide passes, but Sawyer indicated the racers were in close proximity on that leg with little time to react.
“Nobody’s holding [the driver who hit Yanch] to blame. There’s no reason to penalize him… he is not an unsafe driver,” Sawyer said. “He’s absolutely mortified.” With the incident making provincial news, many people have expressed concern over the safety of watercross racing, but Sawyer said there’s risk involved with most things.
“Racing is a high-intensity sport. Everybody takes the risk. It’s no different than snowboarding or downhill skiing, or any other [extreme sport]. Everybody knows the risk and they sign up for it. We never think it’s going to happen, and we always hope it never happens, but unfortunately, it happened and we’re just so sorry for the family,” Sawyer said.
The remainder of the event was immediately cancelled, with racers and spectators coming together in near silence, Sawyer said. They lined the road down to County Road 21 and saluted as Yanch’s body was taken away.
“Not a word spoken – just tears… a lot of people are really upset about this. The racing community is like one big family,” Sawyer said.
Tributes poured in from all corners, with the U.S.-based International Watercross Association (IWA) raising funds for Yanch’s family. The OWRA also donated proceeds from the weekend event to the Yanch family.
“Watercross is more than racing. It is a family built around a shared passion, countless weekends together, and friendships that reach far beyond the race site. We may race under different series names and in different parts of the world, but we are all part of the same watercross community,” the IWA said.
Despite Sunday’s incident, Sawyer said there are no plans to cancel future races.
“He would not want us to quit racing because of this,” Sawyer said. “For us, this isn’t just a race. It’s family bonding, community building. We have people come from Quebec, New York state, Tennessee, lots of locals… it’s in their blood.”
A celebration of life for Yanch is being planned with details to be announced once they are confirmed, the family said.
