Officials are urging safety around the water after RCMP divers recovered a man who drowned at Alice Lake.
On Sunday, a man fell off his paddleboard at about 9 a.m. and didn’t resurface, prompting police and other first responders to conduct a wide-sweeping search of the area.
Alice Lake was shut down most of the day during the search.
Among those involved in the operations were Squamish Search and Rescue, Squamish Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance.
“We are utilizing all the resources we have available to find this man and bring him back to and support his family and friends,” said Squamish RCMP Cpl. Angela Kermer at the time, in a news release.
Rescue manager B.J. Chute said SAR crews were involved in a shoreline search but were stood down on Sunday when the person was not found.
On Monday, police announced via a news release that the RCMP dive team had recovered the man’s body at about 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 8.
“Our hearts go out to [the] family and friends of this man, who was doing something he was enjoying,” said Kermer in the release.
Officers are following up in their investigation to make sure they have complete details of the event.
Alice Lake Provincial Park has since reopened.
Staying safe on the water
BC AdventureSmart’s executive director told The Chief that easy access to lakes and trails can lull people into a false sense of security.
This year, there have been 35 drownings in B.C. and the Yukon according to the Lifesaving Society.
Sandra Riches said the top three reasons for search and rescue callouts involve injury, getting lost or exceeding one’s abilities.
Riches said the final reason applies to situations on the water.
While she said she didn’t have the specifics on what occurred during the Alice Lake drowning, the tragedy serves as a sombre reminder that people need to match their activity to their skill level.
“If something happens on whatever vessel you’re in, and if you can’t safely reach shore, you’ve exceeded your abilities based on that swimming ability,” said Riches.
Having a personal flotation device and attaching oneself to the leash of the paddleboard are among the measures that people can take to stay safe.
The Lifesaving Society also has a course called Swim to Survive, she said, which can really help non-swimmers up their game on the water.
The course is geared to providing survival mechanisms that would help anyone who accidentally falls into deep water.
Finally, people should not be lulled into complacency, even if the access to the water is easy, Riches said.
Many people habitually start planning for trips where access is more difficult, and often end up being better prepared for challenges that arise in those cases.
However, if the access to a lake is mere feet away from a parking lot, people tend to let down their guard and not prepare as diligently, she noted.
“The planning doesn’t happen as habitually as it does in other situations, so there’s no question that it’s part of that psychological factor that plays a role,” Riches said.
She also urged people to consult the adventuresmart.ca page, which also has a water safety section.
She noted that the three T’s of safety — trip planning, training and taking the essentials — are often discussed in the context of long hikes, but apply to everything, including water activities.
