RCMP to search for body after man in his 40s drowns in B.C.’s Buntzen Lake

ANMORE, B.C. – Mounties say a man in his 40s drowned in Buntzen Lake in Metro Vancouver on Tuesday.

Coquitlam RCMP Staff. Sgt. Tony Porato says the man was in the water at around 4 p.m. when his family noticed he was in distress and called for help.

Officers and fire crews responded but the man from the Lower Mainland is believed to have drowned.

Porato says Mounties don’t believe any foul play occurred and it is simply a “tragic incident.”

He says the RCMP underwater recovery team will work to locate and pull the man’s body from the water.

The death comes about a month after a 19-year-old Surrey man drowned in the same lake, and Porato reminded people to take precautions in the water.

“Buntzen Lake is a beautiful place to be at but you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings,” he said, adding it’s a water reservoir so it gets deep quickly.

“The water is pretty shallow for the first 30 feet or so from the shore but then it drops off really rapidly and it’s over 100 feet of water.”

He recommended wearing a personal flotation device in the water or swimming in pairs if both people are strong swimmers.