RCMP authorities have successfully located the body of a 13-year-old female at Cultus Lake in British Columbia after a thorough three-day search in the popular Fraser Valley swimming area. The police’s underwater retrieval team discovered the teenager approximately 20 meters beneath the water’s surface at 2 p.m. PT on Monday.
The young girl, who was not wearing a life jacket, is presumed to have experienced a medical emergency while floating on a paddleboard on Saturday and subsequently fallen into the water, according to Chilliwack RCMP Cpl. Carmen Kiener. Kiener expressed deep regret for the tragic incident, emphasizing that such unforeseen events are heartbreaking.
Following an initial report of a potential drowning on Saturday afternoon, law enforcement initiated a search operation for the missing teenager. Search teams concentrated their efforts in the Entrance Bay region, urging boaters and the public to steer clear due to poor visibility caused by heavy silt on the lake bed. The investigation has now been handed over to the B.C. Coroners Service.
Chilliwack RCMP is urging the community to exercise extra caution near bodies of water, especially in light of the alarming increase in accidental drownings in British Columbia this summer compared to the previous year. Kiener highlighted that near-drowning incidents are also frequently reported at Cultus Lake, recounting an episode where a man paddleboarding without a life jacket encountered distress, prompting swift RCMP intervention to rescue him and another individual who came to his aid.
In a separate incident earlier in the month, bystanders intervened to save a man from drowning at the lake. Kiener emphasized the importance of water safety measures, stressing the necessity of always wearing a properly fitted life jacket, possessing adequate swimming skills, and refraining from swimming alone.