Alberta man drowns in BC's Cultus Lake over weekend, body recovered

A tragic drowning at a popular BC lake has claimed the life of a 33-year-old Calgary man.

The man was with friends at Cultus Lake near Chilliwack on Saturday night when he went wading into the water near Entrance Bay. 

“Tragically, the man was unable to swim and became submerged in deep water where he drowned,” said Sgt. Krista Vrolyk, media spokesperson for the Chilliwack RCMP. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to this man’s family and friends.”

First responders, including the Cultus Lake Fire and Rescue department as well as Chilliwack Search and Rescue, tried to rescue him but they weren’t successful.

Mounties say his body was later recovered from the lake.

This is the second drowning in recent years. In 2020 a 22-year-old man drowned in the lake while he was swimming with friends.

The lake has a very quick drop off and there are no lifeguards.

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#Chilliwack – Weekend drowning at Cultus Lake https://t.co/b4DIklUgpD #UFVRD

— Upper Fraser Valley RCMP (@UFVRD_RCMP) August 15, 2022

What’s happening at cultus lake – police ambulance evacuating beach ??? Now

— TGuswal (@t_guswal) August 14, 2022

The identity of the man is not known at the time. The matter is under investigation by the Chilliwack Mounties and BC Coroners Service.

With files from Megan Devlin