I think it's time for lifeguards at Skaha lake

[scorpion1024]

Considering the amount of drownings, adding the presumed drowning of a 12 year old girl yesterday. I am all for my tax dollars going to a life guard or two at Skaha lake. Apparently people can't read the signs and don't understand what the buoys mean. Obviously we need to look out for our tourists.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#78551

[zookeeper]

While I agree with you somewhat, there is nothing a lifeguard could have done here. The girl was with her family who immediately reached out for her. My heart goes out to these families. The signs on this beach, and the channel are extremely poor. While I am all for summer fun, jumping off the bridge (many while highly intoxicated), diving particularly in to 7 feet of water, and floating into an area marked only from the beach side about strong under currents seems clearly ineffective. As well, many people ignore these signs and I have seen many people float well out in to the lake (last years drowning was a man trying to get to his family who had floated too far out). I really don't know what the solution may be here, but I hope it is seriously looked in to.

[bonmichelle]

I agree...I was there when that happened and said the same......time for life guards at all points where the yellow boeys were and carry whistles loud ones. I stayed and searched until after 8 lastnight still no word. I felt so sad.....on another note.....what in the hell is wrong with people littering in our waters!!!!! For gawd sake people stop it. While searching there were hundreds of cans in the lake.....filthy and lazy and aweful to litter like that. I was constantly picking them from under the water and so were others during the search....just terrible!

[-fluffy-]

It's a no-brainer that if we're going to rely on signage in the absence of any human (lifeguard) presence then the signage should be prominent and easily understood. I haven't seen what sort of signage is on the beach, I've only really noticed the ones on the north side of the bridge directed at rafters coming down the channel. It makes sense that signage be present at any and all typical access points. I wonder where the responsibility lays for this sort of stuff, I know the laws around waterways can be a tangled mess of overlapping gov't jurisdictions.

[-fluffy-]

there were hundreds of cans in the lake...

Off topic, but there's money to be made there. A friend of mine used to float the channel with a small rubber raft tethered to his ankle with a length of rope, he's scoop empties off the bottom of the channel as he made the trip and always came out the other end a few bucks richer.

Back on topic, I wonder if having a lifeguard(s) on duty would change the City's legal liability in these situations? Kind of cold-hearted to think about it in these terms but still...

[twobits]

Back on topic, I wonder if having a lifeguard(s) on duty would change the City's legal liability in these situations? Kind of cold-hearted to think about it in these terms but still...

That in a nutshell is what it is all about....liability. Add to this that the area under discussion is not even within city limits but is actually native land. As to the channel itself, being designated as a navigatible waterway, I believe it falls under Federal jurisdiction, not Civic or Provincial.

[Craig Ralph]

Yes I strongly believe Penticton should have life guards; if only to warn people and their parents about the danger when they stray too far. It shows we care.

[GardenMum]

It is a very sad situation. I'm assuming they were tourists? I would think the locals know from people's experiences to not be swimming in that area of the channel feeding into the lake,

[ToddT]

This story makes me sick to my stomach. A parent should never have to bury a child.
My heart goes out to them.

[Tony]

A huge tragedy for the family, and my heart goes out to them. I can't imagine the pain they are feeling. I have to wonder where the parents were while their daughter was playing in the water around the signs that clearly mark the area as a no swimming area?

The tide at the mouth of the channel is very strong, and even an accomplished swimmer would have trouble there. I don't think a lifeguard would have been able to make a difference in this case. If the little girl got caught in that riptide, there's not a lot anyone could do. I have to think that if the parents didn't stop her from playing there, a lifeguard wouldn't have been able to either.

Either way, a tragedy for sure.

[Tero]

People say liability, but there's obviously a way around that as thousands of towns around the globe have lifeguarded beaches (Peachland first comes to mind.) This town thrives on beach and tourist economy in the summer - lets thank them for coming by doing what we can to keep them safer. :-( I don't care either if it's PIB or city land - solutions CAN be worked out.

[lucky644]

As already stated, a lifeguard could not have done anything, the undercurrent works very quickly. There are plenty of warning signs, and there is even a fence blocking a good portion of the opening of the channel.

The only thing that could have prevented this would have been some Parents/Guardians actually doing their job and watching their children.

[zookeeper]

As already stated, a lifeguard could not have done anything, the undercurrent works very quickly. There are plenty of warning signs, and there is even a fence blocking a good portion of the opening of the channel.

The only thing that could have prevented this would have been some Parents/Guardians actually doing their job and watching their children.

Clearly you have never been to this area, there is no part of the channel being blocked by any kind of fence.. Furthermore,this girl was swimming with her older sisters (with families of their own) in the lake, not the channel. There is a huge sand bar that you can walk out probably a hundred feet and only get wet up to your knees. It is odd shaped and there are several areas that drop off in to deeper water. The RCMP said in certain areas the drop off is immediately 80 feet. If you are going to make these kinds of accusations, perhaps you should go and check out the area first, get informed, and perhaps see if you could be of any assistance to a family who can not find their child.

[scorpion1024]

regardless of how it happened, The City of Penticton needs to make every attempt at preventing it from happening again. It happens too often at Skaha Lake. We either need proper fences or netting, more signs, or lifeguards. Yes, I agree. A lifeguard may not have saved her when she went under, but a lifeguard could have prevented her from being in that area. Same goes with people who float directly under the bridge into Skaha Lake. There are undertows there as well. Sure, you are somewhat safe on a raft but one false move could be fatal... especially when you add little kids, people without lifejackets, liquor and other details.

Also, as citizens of Penticton, if we see people in this area of the beach a quick "people drown in this area every year" should hopefully detour them. It's looking out for the tourists. We all need to do our part.

[grammafreddy]

Funny thing about signage - people read them and think, "It'll never happen to me" and promptly ignore the warning message. Some people - locals and tourists - think signs are for other people - not them.