Mother charged after allegedly trying to drown 3 year old son in Ajax, Ont.

AJAX, Ont.—A mother is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after she allegedly tried to drown her three-year-old son near a beach east of Toronto.

David Selby, a spokesman for the Durham Regional Police, said a person noticed a woman acting strangely with a young child around 4 p.m. last Thursday in Ajax, Ont.

Selby said a witness saw the woman holding the boy on the railing of a bridge near a park and started talking to her — trying to get her to walk back to a nearby parking lot.

Shortly after, the witness saw the woman and the boy heading toward the beach area.

The witness told police that the woman was allegedly holding the boy under water.

Selby said two people, including the first witness, helped bring the boy to shore and wrapped him in warm clothing.

He said the child was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital, but has since been released to his father.

A 29-year-old woman from Ajax was taken into custody under the Mental Health Act and was later charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The woman hasn’t been named in order to protect the child.

Selby said the two citizens, whose names also haven’t been released, have been put forward for recognition for their assistance in the incident.