FIRST responders in Mission were called to Hayward Lake around 6 p.m. on July 9, after a man drowned while paddleboarding.

Mission RCMP, the BC Ambulance Service and Mission Fire Rescue Service attended the lake, and firefighters and paramedics spent an extended period trying to resuscitate the man, but sadly, he was eventually pronounced deceased.

The 58-year-old man from Mission had been out paddleboarding in the area of the dog beach, when he reportedly lost his balance and fell into the water.  He was not wearing a personal floatation device, and reportedly had limited swimming abilities.  The man’s wife – who had remained on shore – began yelling for help.  A passerby rushed over to help, using the man’s paddleboard to search the area.  He spotted the victim underwater and was able to grab hold of him and bring him back to the shore, then started doing CPR.

Lifeguards who had been stationed on the main swimming beach – nearly half a kilometre away – had just packed up for the day and were in the process of leaving the area, when they were alerted to the situation.  They immediately attended the area of the dog beach and continued CPR until other first responders arrived.  The area where the man drowned was not a part of the lake supervised by lifeguards.

Mission RCMP say anyone venturing out onto the water this summer is encouraged to consider wearing a life jacket, regardless of swimming ability.  Unexpected factors such as hitting your head, cold water shock, undercurrents, or a collision with a watercraft can all have an immediate impact on your ability to keep yourself above the water, and a simple personal floatation device could mean the difference between a fun day on the water and a sad and tragic outcome.