Penticton water park opens to naked trespasser and wild winds

PENTICTON – Penticton's newest form of entertainment on the water began operations on the weekend and it is already attracting unexpected visitors.

Penticton’s Wibit Water Park opened on Saturday, June 20, but a security breach — apparently in innocent fun — that night has operator Randy Gallagher already stepping up security around the inflatable water park.

Gallagher says his security service reported an incident Saturday night that involved a man who stripped down on the beach to swim out to the park around 9 p.m.

“He climbed to the top of the tower and began imitating body building poses, all the while in the buff. Apparently he had many of the patrons in the restaurants along here cheering him on and applauding,” Gallagher says.

Security notified RCMP, but the man was able to grab his clothes and run just before the police arrived.

Gallagher says he already had security in place over the last few days and has been working on increasing and improving his present system.

“We obviously don’t want anyone on the equipment after hours. People are generally respectful,” he says, noting few security issues with the Wibit Water Park in Kelowna, which Gallagher also operates with his son, Rylie.

Gallagher says he has video surveillance and a security guard presently in place, but will be adding a boat to the night time security detail.

“Our security will be efficient. We’re just working out the wrinkles,” he says.

Gallagher is also impressed with the water park’s anchoring system following the strong, gusty north winds that pummelled the shoreline on Saturday night. He says the park is anchored with a total of 26 2,200 pound anchors, and the system didn’t move in spite of the wild conditions Saturday night.

A grand opening is planned for the Penticton Wibit Water Park for Saturday, June 27, starting at 3 p.m.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.