Why July 8 is a bad time to go swimming near La Ronde

On July 8, 1979 - that's 30 years ago now - Concetta Di Micco, 47, hopped on the Mississippi, a little boat that was part of the Man and his world (aka La Ronde) attractions in the adjacent Dolphin Lake. Amazingly the ship went down and Concetta died trying to save her daughter Assunta Di Micco, 6. Son Robert Di Micco was also aboard but he managed to hang onto a woman who had managed to snag a life preserver before the ship went down.

Sisters Anna Di Rocco, 14 and Amelia Di Rocco, 16, were not on board, as they waited at the wharf for the 15 minute ride to end.

Amelia had even warned the authorities that there was water in the boat as it took off, and they told her it was normal, but she noted that it was going very slowly right from the start. Father Francesco Di Rocco, a gardener, became a single parent of 4 that day. The Mississippi was grounded from then on. There were about 55 others on the boat in the 15 foot waters of the man-made lake. Performers from a water-skiing show saved several people from drowning.

Maurice Catavolo, 6, died in front of his mother's eyes.

Georgetta Farah, 51, also drowned.

Six years earlier to the date - July 8, 1973 - two police officers drowned trying to save a woman who found herself in the water in Dolphin Lake. The two had climbed onto a ski jump to help a woman who was drowning. They fell off and neither knew how to swim, which is an extremely difficult task while fully clothed. The woman survived but both officers drowned on that day.

Andre Desilets, 25 (left) and Claude Sarrazin, also 25, (below) both died tragically on that day.

Just weeks before the lake had been used for a wacky and carefree bathtub race.