High-flying proposal

A B.C. couple is on cloud nine after their high-flying Sunday zip line adventure ended with him on his knee and a ring on her left hand.

Steve Venman and Rebecca Meehan from Kitimat are in the Okanagan this week visiting Venman’s parents in Penticton.

Venman decided this was the perfect week to pop the question to his long-time best friend and girlfriend of eight months.

Despite his girlfriend’s fear of heights, Venman decided to work with the team at ZipZone Peachland to ask the question there.

“I just thought it would be a unique, interesting way to do it. Something she would never expect, something out of the ordinary, something very few people have done before,” says Venman moments after asking the question.

“The guys here helped a lot. They said they would set it up at end of the final zip line and I would go first and the owner would be at the end with a camera and champagne and then she would go last,” explains Venman who was also able to record the whole experience on one of the company’s GoPro helmet cams.

“Once she got off and unstrapped, I did what I had to do,” says Venman with a laugh. “I forgot a little bit because I was a bit nervous, I got down on one knee and she said yes, so that was pretty good.”

He says she looked entirely shocked and had a huge smile on her face.

“I figured if she could get over the fear of the zip line…she’d say yes,” joked Venman. “I was pretty sure she would say yes but I thought it would be a cool idea.”

His now fiancée was still beaming as she spoke to Castanet.

“I am shock still,” says Meehan amidst giggles. “I didn’t see it coming, I didn’t expect it at all. I didn’t even want to come zip lining today because I am petrified of heights.”

As she zipped down the final line she noticed things were a little askew because the owner was standing at the end with a camera.

“I thought it was maybe pictures for the website or whatever,” says Meehan, who then noticed her boyfriend acting a little odd.

“I looked over at Steven and I could see he was really shaky so I figured something was going on, and then he started his speech and he got down on one knee.”

While she didn’t see the proposal coming at that moment, she says there were some signs he had something planned.

“Now that I think about it, I could have put it together,” says Meehan. “Steve had said, 'It would really mean a lot to me if you would come zip lining, I think we would have a lot of fun,' and usually he doesn’t push me to do things he knows I’m petrified of, but I did it!”

The couple says the team at ZipZone Peacland went above and beyond to make it a special day just for them.

“The team was really good, the owner and the staff were awesome. A day we will never forget, a memorable moment,” adds Venman.

Owner of the ZipZone, Kevin Bennett, ensured he was waiting on the final platform for the big moment, camera and champagne in hand.

“It went really well,” says Bennett. “It is a lot of fun for us.”

Bennett says the zip line company handles about two proposals a year and they love being a part of such a special moment in couple’s lives.

“He was quite nervous actually, it was really fun,” says Bennett. “He was really sweet, he had a little speech all prepared and then he forgot half of it but it was a really sweet speech and, of course, she was just absolutely beaming.”

“One of the fun things about owning a zip line park is that sometimes you do get to do nice things like this for people and be a memorable part of their lives,” adds Bennett.

While it is too early to know when they will be tying the knot, the couple says they look forward to start planning their wedding soon.