A portion of Narmata Centre Beach has been taped off after a woman became mired in silt, Thursday, May 11, 2017. The silt had been carried into the lake by Narmata Creek creating quicksand-like conditions. Steve Arstad

Naramata woman rescued from quicksand-like lake bottom

PENTICTON – With recent rains and spring runoff saturating the Okanagan, it’s getting hard to know how close to a body of water one should get.

A Naramata woman found herself in trouble last week in what should have been a benign situation.

Naramata fire chief Tony Travao says firefighters were called to Naramata Centre Beach on Okanagan Lake on Thursday, May 11 to the aid of a woman who waded into the lake while wearing rubber boots near the outflow of Naramata Creek.

She sank in the quicksand-like silt that had formed from recent high creek flows and needed the help of firefighters to be extricated.

Travao says the woman was rescued, and needed a blanket and a place to warm up after being in the cold water for half an hour.

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Steve Arstad

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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