Father who drove car into a lake, killing his two kids, suffered from Huntington's disease, family says

Sudbury -

As a northern Ontario community mourns the devastating loss of a father and his two children after the car they were in went into a Timmins area lake, more information about the tragic day is coming to light.

Emergency crews were called to Little Pearl Lake off of Highway 101 East in the Schumacher area of Timmins around 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 6 after a vehicle entered the water.

Three bodies were recovered the next day when the vehicle was finally extricated from the water. Julien Ottoson, 42, and his two children, 7-year-old Isabella and 11-year-old Simon, are believed to have died after the vehicle went underwater.

Several people at the scene at the time made valiant attempts to try to rescue the occupants unsuccessfully, despite the extreme danger, police said.

"The set of circumstances faced by everyone in this instance was very dangerous, but the bravery they displayed was admirable," Timmins Police Service said in a news release Thursday. "The efforts of the women and men involved including the witnesses and first responders was truly extraordinary and we want to express our gratitude for their efforts."

Police are investigating the heart-breaking incident as a homicide saying "based on the investigation thus far, it is clear that this was an intentional act in which the father is directly responsible for the deaths of the two young persons."

Officials said the incident was not the result of an accidental motor vehicle collision.

In an effort to "provide information to try to make some sense of this senseless act," the surviving family members released a statement on Thursday shedding light on the state of mind the father of two was in.

Four years ago, Julian was diagnosed with Huntington's disease, which is a progressive brain disorder caused by a defective gene. The Alzheimer's Association says the incurable disease "causes changes in the central area of the brain which affect movement, mood and thinking skills.

"This disease took Julian's mother. He watched the disease take everything that made her human, then watched as it took her life," the family's statement reads. "It broke Julian's heart to know he would be a burden on his family the same way."

Because it can be passed down genetically from parent to child, the Huntington Society of Canada says children of people with the disease have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it.

On top of that, in May of 2019, Ottoson's wife and the children's mother, Caryn-Anne, passed away from cancer at Timmins Hospice Centre.

Understanding the risk of his children inheriting one or both deadly diseases after suffering the loss of both parents devasted Ottoson, the family said.

"This does not excuse his actions, but hopefully it helps explain the unexplainable," the statement reads. "The monument of toys and candles at the tragic site moves us greatly and fills our hearts with gratitude and a measure of comfort in this difficult time. We are awed and ever thankful for those on the scene who tried to help."

Autopsies were performed on Monday and the results are not yet available.

"Police have worked cooperatively with the family to share information and follow up with the investigation," Timmins police said. "We wish to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims during this very difficult time and ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve.