UPDATE: Father who died trying to rescue children in Wood Lake identified

UPDATE: 10:28 a.m. July 2, 2013

LAKE COUNTRY – The father who drowned attempting to rescue his children June 29 from the waters of Wood Lake has been identified.

He was George Klein, 42, from Whitehorse, Yukon.

Klein was with a large gathering of family at the Kokanee Beach Resort in the afternoon Saturday. Some of the children from the group including Klein's two sons were playing in the water when they were caught up in the undertow where Vernon Creek empties into Wood Lake.

A number of adults went into the water to help the children but Klein didn't resurface. Emergency services were called immediately and the search began. Klein was found later in the afternoon in the water in an area about 5 metres deep and 20 metres from shore.

The B.C. Coroners office continues to investigate.

2:05 p.m. July 1, 2013

A Canada Day Long Weekend tragedy in the Okanagan.

A father drowned while trying to rescue children in Wood Lake Saturday at about 2 p.m.

Lake Country RCMP were called about three swimmers in distress near the Kokanee Beach Resort. Three boys, aged 9 to 11, were swimming just off shore and were being called in by their mother. Investigators tell us the boys were suddenly carried out into Wood Lake by the strong current coming from Vernon Creek.

The boys’ mother yelled for help.  Other family members, including the father of 2 of the boys jumped into the water.

People in a nearby paddle boat rescued the 3 children, their cousin and their grandfather. But the boys’ father disappeared below the surface of the water.

Vernon Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers found the man’s body just before 6 p.m. Saturday night.

The 42 year old Whitehorse man’s body was found in 16 feet of water about 50 feet from shore. The victim’s name hasn’t been released by the RCMP

The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team pulled the body from the water with the held of the RCMP helicopter, the Lake Country Fire Department and SAR members.

The B.C. Coroner’s Service will be releasing more information about the drowning when appropriate.

To contact the reporter for this story email halexander@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 491-0331.