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West Kelowna  

Body of drowned cliff jumper pulled from Okanagan Lake

RCMP have located body

UPDATE 8:34 p.m.

The Central Okanagan Search and Rescue says they were able to locate the body of the man missing and presumed drowned after jumping off the cliffs at Squally point on Aug. 1 after three days of searching. 

"RCMP were notified and decided to delay the announcement and retrieval until they were better able to do so," says COSAR in a media release. 

In total, COSAR spent 16 hours over three days on board their 30-foot landing craft, The Sweatman, scanning Okanagan Lake with underwater cameras. 

"The body was discovered Monday morning in 150 feet of water, approximately 25 feet from the cliff face."

They also remind the public that each year more people drown in Okanagan Lake than in any other lake in the province. 


UPDATE 3:19 p.m.

RCMP tell Castanet they have located the body of the man missing and presumed drowned after jumping off the cliffs at Squally point on August 1.

"Operations are now underway to retrieve the body of a swimmer presumed drowned in Okanagan Lake," says Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy.

Noseworthy says West Kelowna RCMP, Peachland Fire and Rescue and members of the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue searched for days with no results.

However, today, the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team is at the location attempting to retrieve the man's body, the release states.

“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,“ says Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy. “At this time, we are unable to estimate how long this operation will be on-going."

Investigators do not believe criminality was involved in this incident and the BC Coroners Service has been notified.


ORIGINAL 1:09 p.m.

The search for the body of a 33-year-old Alberta man is entering its fifth day.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy says the underwater search team is returning to the area around Rattlesnake Island Wednesday in search of the man's body.

The unidentified man is presumed to have drowned after he did not resurface while cliff diving around the island Saturday afternoon.

RCMP, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue and fire department rescue boats from Naramata and Kelowna all searched the area immediately after the incident, but were unsuccessful in locating the man.

Noseworthy says RCMP dive teams will continue to search until such time as they are certain all search avenues have been exhausted.

There had been some reports the man's body had been recovered, after it was learned a body had been recovered from the lake.

However, the BC Coroners Service and Vernon RCMP have now confirmed the human remains found Sunday morning were discovered in the north end of Okanagan Lake off Westside Road.



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