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'Deadly' blades buried in sand
Toronto police are searching for "a disturbed person" who embedded sharp blades in a dozen blocks of wood and buried them in beach volleyball courts at Ashbridge's Bay. "They were placed deliberately to cause injury to people playing beach volleyball," Detective Norman Brinn told a news conference yesterday afternoon.
"I have been at 55 Division for 20 years now and I've never seen anything of this construction before. We are obviously dealing with a disturbed person, to say the least."
Brinn said what he found most troubling was the time it must have taken to build and then hide the dangerous devices.
The sandy courts officially became a crime scene yesterday after one of the players noticed a glint of metal and uncovered a sharp blade stuck in a small block of wood.
"It's kind of a scary thought that somebody was trying to hurt us," said Frank Domagala, 37, one of the players in the co-ed tournament.
Domagala and his partner were warming up on the beach shortly before 9 a.m., when she dove and he spotted something unusual beside her. He shifted the sand and discovered a second blade.
"My partner could have sliced open her foot or her arm or her chest, depending on how she would have landed," said Domagala, who works at the nearby Beaches Recreation Centre.
At this point, organizers halted play and participants started combing the courts. They uncovered eight blades mounted on wood blocks — some hidden several inches underneath the sand.
"When the first one was brought out, I said: `This is strange,'" said Michael Lichti, 31, who organizes the tournament for the Toronto East Sport and Social Club.
"When the others were found, I went kind of numb. Why would someone do something like this?
"Players are diving all the time. It could have cut an Achilles tendon or an artery very easily. Somebody could have been killed."
About 100 players were scheduled to play at the tournament yesterday. A similar number played Saturday at the same location without incident. Lichti called police once the group had uncovered the blades and the entire area was roped off. Last night, the area was still off limits. Staff Sergeant Ted Cook of 55 Division said police would conduct another sweep of the area today with the city's help.
Yesterday morning, people on the boardwalk were stunned by the discovery.
"It's really evil. It's bizarre that someone would do this," one passerby said.
Police combed the sand with metal detectors and by early afternoon, with help from city workers, they had uncovered four more blades in wooden blocks.
The blocks — seven to 15 centimetres long — were cut by a machine and the blades, of varying lengths, were secured in a deep groove. "These blocks have been fashioned for the sole purpose of injuring someone playing beach volleyball," Brinn said.
The general area remained open yesterday, Brinn said, since it appeared the culprit had targeted the volleyball courts. Still, police warned the public to be extra cautious.
Brinn also appealed to people to call police if they recall seeing anything suspicious at Ashbridge's Bay over the weekend.
Brinn said the search would continue until police were certain no danger remained.
"We will be here until we are satisfied this area is safe to return to the public," he said. "The last thing we want are kids walking around in here finding these things."
Toronto police are searching for "a disturbed person" who embedded sharp blades in a dozen blocks of wood and buried them in beach volleyball courts at Ashbridge's Bay. "They were placed deliberately to cause injury to people playing beach volleyball," Detective Norman Brinn told a news conference yesterday afternoon.
"I have been at 55 Division for 20 years now and I've never seen anything of this construction before. We are obviously dealing with a disturbed person, to say the least."
Brinn said what he found most troubling was the time it must have taken to build and then hide the dangerous devices.
The sandy courts officially became a crime scene yesterday after one of the players noticed a glint of metal and uncovered a sharp blade stuck in a small block of wood.
"It's kind of a scary thought that somebody was trying to hurt us," said Frank Domagala, 37, one of the players in the co-ed tournament.
Domagala and his partner were warming up on the beach shortly before 9 a.m., when she dove and he spotted something unusual beside her. He shifted the sand and discovered a second blade.
"My partner could have sliced open her foot or her arm or her chest, depending on how she would have landed," said Domagala, who works at the nearby Beaches Recreation Centre.
At this point, organizers halted play and participants started combing the courts. They uncovered eight blades mounted on wood blocks — some hidden several inches underneath the sand.
"When the first one was brought out, I said: `This is strange,'" said Michael Lichti, 31, who organizes the tournament for the Toronto East Sport and Social Club.
"When the others were found, I went kind of numb. Why would someone do something like this?
"Players are diving all the time. It could have cut an Achilles tendon or an artery very easily. Somebody could have been killed."
About 100 players were scheduled to play at the tournament yesterday. A similar number played Saturday at the same location without incident. Lichti called police once the group had uncovered the blades and the entire area was roped off. Last night, the area was still off limits. Staff Sergeant Ted Cook of 55 Division said police would conduct another sweep of the area today with the city's help.
Yesterday morning, people on the boardwalk were stunned by the discovery.
"It's really evil. It's bizarre that someone would do this," one passerby said.
Police combed the sand with metal detectors and by early afternoon, with help from city workers, they had uncovered four more blades in wooden blocks.
The blocks — seven to 15 centimetres long — were cut by a machine and the blades, of varying lengths, were secured in a deep groove. "These blocks have been fashioned for the sole purpose of injuring someone playing beach volleyball," Brinn said.
The general area remained open yesterday, Brinn said, since it appeared the culprit had targeted the volleyball courts. Still, police warned the public to be extra cautious.
Brinn also appealed to people to call police if they recall seeing anything suspicious at Ashbridge's Bay over the weekend.
Brinn said the search would continue until police were certain no danger remained.
"We will be here until we are satisfied this area is safe to return to the public," he said. "The last thing we want are kids walking around in here finding these things."
Not a chance in a city of millions bound to be a few bad apples.
