West Kelowna RCMP investigates fatal water‑tube accident on Okanagan Lake
On Saturday, July 11, a 45‑year‑old man being towed behind a boat on an inflatable tube was thrown into Okanagan Lake near West Kelowna. The man was not wearing a personal flotation device, struggled in the water and could not be rescued. The West Kelowna RCMP, assisted by the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue team, carried out marine and air searches but suspended them later due to uncertainty about the exact location. As of Monday, July 13, police are presuming the incident fatal and have deployed an Underwater Recovery Team.
Emergency crews responded to the downtown Kelowna boat launch on Saturday afternoon after a 911 call reported a person overboard without a lifejacket. One occupant was taken to the launch on a stretcher while three others were brought ashore. The incident adds to Okanagan Lake’s record as a deadly lake in British Columbia, prompting renewed safety reminders to wear properly fitted personal flotation devices.