Man who was swimming with friends, family drowns in Okanagan Lake: RCMP
A man who was spending the day at the lake with friends and family earlier this week drowned, B.C. Mounties say.
Police said they and paramedics were called at about 2 p.m. Monday about a 57-year-old man from the Lower Mainland who drowned in Okanagan Lake near Peachland.
Investigators said the man was swimming near 6 Street and Beach Avenue with friends and family. At some point, he reportedly jumped in the water on his own, but never resurfaced. It wasn't until about 30 minutes later that the man's disappearance was noticed.
Friends and family tried to look for the man but, after not finding him, contacted nearby lifeguards. The man was eventually found and lifeguards brought him to the surface to give life-saving measures.
Those attempts were unsuccessful and the man died at the scene.
"This is a sad time for family and friends of this gentleman and the RCMP are saddened by this unfortunate accident," said Const. Mike Della-Paolera in a news release.
DOZENS OF DROWNINGS EACH YEAR IN B.C.
According to the B.C. Injury Research and Prevention Unit, fatal drownings are the most common in the summer months.
In an emailed statement, the research institute said "an average of 75 people die a year in B.C. from drowning."
Dale Miller, executive director of Lifesaving Society B.C. and Yukon Branch, urges people to be prepared and get familiar with the water before jumping in.
"First and foremost is to really think about what you would do if something were to happen to someone you're with or yourself as well," he said.
"Do you have something to throw to someone? A rope or something like that? An inflatable even."
Even swimmers should take precautions, experts say. According to the Boating BC Association, it's estimated two out of every three victims know how to swim.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Tahmina Aziz
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.