Mounties working to recover Alberta man presumed drowned near Rattlesnake Island

Operations are now underway to retrieve the body of a swimmer presumed drowned in Okanagan Lake.

West Kelowna RCMP responded Aug. 1 at approximately 2:40 p.m., to a call of a man who had not resurfaced while cliff jumping near Rattlesnake Island on Okanagan Lake.

People in the area had attempted to locate the 33-year-old Alberta man, according to an RCMP press release, but had not been able to find him.

West Kelowna RCMP, Peachland Fire and Rescue and members of the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue were at the scene yesterday. Despite extensive efforts, they were unable to locate the man, and he is presumed to have drowned. Today, the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team is at the location attempting to locate the man's body.

“For the safety of our divers and the entire search team, we request that boaters remain away from the area while we complete our search,“ Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy said in a press release. “At this time, we unable to estimate how long this operation will be on-going."

At this time, investigators do not believe criminality was not involved in this incident. The BC Coroners Service has also been notified.

No further information is being released at this time.
 


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Kathy Michaels

Kathy Michaels has been an Okanagan-based journalist for more than a decade, working for community papers along the valley and beyond.
She’s won provincial and national awards in business, news and feature writing and says that her love for telling a good story rivals only her fondness for turning a good phrase.
If you have a story that deserves to be told in a thoughtful and compassionate manner, don’t hesitate to reach out.
To reach Kathy call 250-718-0428 or email kmichaels@infonews.ca.