Okanagan Lake is once again living up to its reputation as the deadliest body of water in British Columbia, after police recovered a second drowning victim in just three days.
The most recent incident happened Monday near Kelowna’s City Park. RCMP confirmed the body of an adult was pulled from the water.
“This time of year, our snowpacks are melting rapidly. Our streams, rivers, and lakes are filling with cold, fast-moving water — and often debris,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera of the Kelowna RCMP.
“It’s a little dangerous this time of year to be out there.”
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Just two days earlier, another person was found dead in Okanagan Lake near Westside Road in Vernon. RCMP say the woman had last been seen kayaking and was not wearing a lifejacket when her body was recovered.
Officials are renewing calls for water safety ahead of what’s expected to be a busy — and hot — summer in the Okanagan.
“We’ve seen, time and time again, lifejackets and PFDs save lives,” said Kimiko Hirakida from the Lifesaving Society.
“It’s important that everyone on your vessel is wearing their lifejacket, not just handling it.”
While daytime highs are expected to climb into the 30s this week, officials say lake temperatures remain dangerously cold — ranging from just 13 to 16 C on Tuesday.
“When water is really cold and the air temperature is hot, your body can actually go into shock,” Hirakida explained. “That can trigger an internal gasp reflex, and you could go unconscious within seconds.”
RCMP say they’ll be out on the water more frequently this summer, keeping watch for impaired boaters, emergencies, and anyone in distress.
“Being impaired on a boat will be treated like being impaired in a car,” said Della-Paolera. “We’ll be out there, watching.”
According to the Lifesaving Society, 38 drownings were recorded in B.C. and the Yukon last year — a number expected to rise when the BC Coroners Service finalizes its data.
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