One man has died after going over the Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon.
First responders were called to the creek just before 5 p.m., Wednesday after park rangers were alerted to a swimmer in distress.
The creeksides were busy at the time with visitors and numerous witnesses reported seeing the 21-year-old man go over the falls, said assistant fire chief Scott Ferguson.
“Going over the second falls, it looked like he hit hard, like he hit a hidden rock,” Ferguson said. “He continued on and then tried to get himself out of the water, but was unable and then disappeared.”
Crews rushed to the area where he was last seen and deployed an inflatable boat, allowing them to find the man in the water and pull him to the shore. By the time they pulled him out, he had been under the water for at least 20 minutes, Ferguson said.
It required ropes to bring the man up to where BC Ambulance Service paramedics were staged to take over care.
Ferguson deemed the fastest way to get the man to the ER would be to call in North Shore Rescue for a helicopter hoist out of the canyon. At the time, the man was still receiving CPR from an automated machine. He was flown to a waiting ambulance, which rushed him to Vancouver General Hospital.
North Vancouver RCMP confirmed the patient died.
Creeks can be dangerous, first responders warn
Now that the summer weather has arrived, people will be flocking to the North Shore’s creeks to cool off, Ferguson acknowledged.
Incidents like the one that happened Wednesday should be top of mind, especially for people who do not have local knowledge of the creeks.
“We just want people to make sure they’re aware of the dangers before they enter the water,” he said, urging anyone who is going into the parks to abide by the posted signs or bring their questions to park rangers.
“They’re going to be in a lot safer position than if they go in unprepared and not knowing what they’re getting into,” he said.
Even with local knowledge, Ferguson cautioned that creeks can be unpredictable, with fluctuating water levels and flows.
“It changes the aspect of the river. It could be daily. One day they can go in and it could be easy swimming and low water levels. And a day or two later, it could be completely different and so they’re unprepared and can get themselves in trouble,” he said.
Following the tragedy, District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little released a statement.
“Our deepest sympathies to family and friends of this young man, and thank you to the first responders and park rangers who worked hard to rescue him and to help his friends,” he said. “We want everyone who spends time in Lynn Canyon to get home safe. In the canyon, Lynn Creek is hazardous and unpredictable, and I want to remind everyone to be cautious and vigilant around the water.”
Understandably, the man’s friends were traumatized by the incident and they are receiving the help of the North Vancouver RCMP’s victim’s services unit, Ferguson said.
It is no different for first responders when a call goes badly, he added, and so they too are seeking help for the good of their own mental health.
