Man drowns paddleboarding without flotation device at popular B.C. lake

A drowning at a busy B.C. lake on Thursday evening has prompted police to issue another reminder to be mindful of safety on the water.

Mission RCMP states that on July 9, first responders were called to Hayward Lake around 6 p.m.

“The 58-year-old man from Mission had been out paddleboarding in the area of the dog beach when he is believed to have lost his balance and fell into the water,” said the detachment in a release.

“He was not wearing a personal floatation device and reportedly had limited swimming abilities.”

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According to police, the man’s wife had remained on shore and began yelling for help.

A passerby who had heard the cries rushed over to help and used the man’s paddleboard to search the area. The Good Samaritan spotted the paddleboarder underwater, grabbed him and brought him back to shore, then initiated CPR.

“Lifeguards who had been stationed on the main swimming beach – nearly half a kilometre away – had just packed up for the day and were in the process of leaving the area, when they were alerted to the situation,” explained Mission RCMP. “They immediately attended the area of the dog beach and continued CPR until other first responders arrived.

“Mission RCMP, the BC Ambulance Service and Mission Fire Rescue Service attended the lake, and firefighters and paramedics spent an extended period trying to resuscitate the man, but sadly, he was eventually pronounced deceased.”

Police also added that the area of Hayward Lake where the drowning occurred was not an area supervised by lifeguards.

Hayward Lake is located in the north central Fraser Valley, and is described by BC Hydro as one of its most popular recreation sites.

Mission RCMP

“We have lifeguards from the Lifesaving Society of B.C. patrolling a designated area of Hayward Lake during peak times (weather dependent),” said BC Hydro online. “Visitors should refer to posted signage to determine if lifeguards are on duty.

“While lifeguards can help improve public safety, lifeguards will only be able to monitor a designated area of the site and visitors are reminded to always use caution around water and wear a PFD.”

BC Hydro lists the lifeguard hours for Hayward Lake as 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from July 1 to September.

In addition to sending “heartfelt condolences” to the drowning victim’s friends and family, Mission RCMP urged the public to strongly consider wearing a life jacket when heading out onto the water, no matter the swimming ability.

“Unexpected factors such as hitting your head, cold water shock, undercurrents, or a collision with a watercraft can all have an immediate impact on your ability to keep yourself above the water, and a simple personal floatation device could mean the difference between a fun day on the water and a sad and tragic outcome.”

B.C. has seen a number of drownings in recent memory, including an American kayaker on Okanagan Lake in late June. The victim was not wearing a PFD.

Central Okanagan Search & Rescue

Six people are also presumed to have drowned after their charter boat sank near Richmond on Sunday, June 28.

Ten people were aboard a charter boat off the coast of Richmond when it began to take on water at around 11:45 a.m on Sunday, June 28.

After learning that some of the occupants were missing, a rescue operation was launched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria, but was called off later that evening.

With files from Amir Ali