A Canadian kickboxing champion is blaming the City of Ottawa for a serious foot infection that dashed his plans to compete in his sport's world championship.

Jamie Sabourin, 38, developed a severe infection in his foot after visiting a beach on Petrie Island, in Ottawa's east end.

Jamie Sabourin has needed crutches to walk since acquiring a serious foot infection after visiting Petrie Island beach.
CBC

He alleges city officials were negligent by not adequately warning the public about the dangers of the bacteria-laden water.

Sabourin visited the picturesque Petrie Island beach on Aug. 8, and spent the morning throwing a football around as part of a picnic outing with his family.

'By the weekend, my foot was literally the size of a football.'-Kickboxer Jamie Sabourin

While playing, he got a small cut in the baby toe of his left foot, and waded into the water to wash the sand out of it.

More than a month after Sabourin's foot became infected, it is still swollen and painful.
CBC

About an hour later, he said, lifeguards arrived and publicly announced that the water was unsafe for swimming due to high bacterial levels.

Over the next week, Sabourin said, his foot grew more and more painful.

"By the weekend, my foot was literally the size of a football."

Infection caused by E. coli

At the hospital, doctors took a swab of the infection and determined that it was caused by E. coli bacteria. Petrie Island's water was home to high levels of the bacteria this summer.

Jean-Guy Albert, a spokesman for Ottawa public health, said that, in 2006, the first year Petrie Island's supervised swimming area was open, the beach had 45 "no swimming" advisories  — more than any other beach in the city.

Sabourin described the beach bluntly: "The water is really a cesspool of bacteria."

A month later, following surgery and treatment at the hospital, Sabourin's foot is still swollen and deep purple in places. He continues to walk with crutches and needs his foot dressings changed regularly by a home-care nurse.

His bad foot will likely keep him from representing Canada at the World Kickboxing Association championship in Spain in November. Sabourin earned a spot in the tournament by winning the Canadian championship in May.

He said he is certain the Petrie Island water is responsible for his infection.

"I'm very confident that it came from there. There's no other way," he said.

'A no brainer' to have signs up

Sabourin said city officials should be doing more to prevent cases like his.

"I think it would just be a no brainer to have signs up that the water quality is poor and you risk your health by going into the water."

He said no such signs were posted.

But a spokesman for Ottawa Public Health said the city tests the water at its beaches regularly and informs the public of the results through many channels.

Jean-Guy Albert, a program manager for the department's environment and health protection division, said people can check the city website for water-quality announcements.

They can also call 311, Ottawa Public Health or a special city phone line with a recorded message.

He said pylons are often put up at the water's edge if it is not safe to swim, and signs are usually posted. But he said Parks and Recreation — not his department — was responsible for posting the signs.