District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services pulled a man from the rushing waters of Lynn Canyon on Monday afternoon, just moments before he would have found himself plunging down a waterfall and into the depths of the park’s 90 Foot Pool.
The DNVFRS received a call around 3:30 p.m of a swimmer in distress near the suspension bridge in Lynn Canyon, said assistant fire chief Scott Ferguson.
“He was in an extremely precarious spot. It was above the 90 Foot Pool, which has a waterfall that goes into it, and with the water levels as high as they are right now, anyone who goes into that pool is in serious danger,” he said.
Ferguson credits the help of the North Vancouver park rangers, who had thrown a rope to the man and had helped steady him, ensuring his swift rescue when the DNVFRS arrived shortly after.
Fire crews used a long rescue pole with a cinch collar at its end to pull the man back to safety on the shore, Ferguson said.
“I think the Park Rangers did a fantastic job and they really helped us in this situation. They knew timing was of the essence and their work made a really big impact,” he said.
Ferguson said the man hadn’t fallen in but had likely been swimming, as he and his group of friends had been in bathing suits and the area is a popular spot for a dip - despite its unforgiving nature. Over the years many people have died cliff jumping into the waters below.
“Water is so dangerous. If you’re not prepared for it or if you’re unaware of your surroundings, you can really get yourself into trouble. That’s why we like people to make sure that they really know the area,” Ferguson said.
With plenty of park rangers on patrol and more than enough signage in the area, Ferguson said the park lays out the dangers of entering the water and doing dangerous activities like cliff jumping “pretty clearly.”
“There should be no ambiguity about the dangers of swimming in that area,” he said.
With the balmy weather and the extended weekend hours increasing the volume of people enjoying the great outdoors, rescue teams were faced with a busier than average weekend.
DNVFRS had also been called out to rescue a mountain biker who had suffered a serious leg injury on Mount Seymour, said Ferguson, with the rescue operation carrying on until long after nightfall.
North Shore Rescue had also had their hands full, with four separate calls put in by Saturday evening.
Three had been to help hikers plagued by snow and slippery conditions atop the North Shore mountains, while the fourth had been the unsuccessful rescue of a West Vancouver man who had died while trying to save his dog from Cypress Creek.
@joshpingpang77 Guy had to get rescued at Lynn Canyon today May 22/23 ##lynncanyon##northvancouver##cantswim ♬ original sound - Joshpingpang
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
