Tubers told to stay off the Shuswap River while waterway runs high

Floating down the river is usually one way to beat the summer heat, but as waterways continue to run high, officials in Enderby, B.C. are asking tubers to stay off the river.

“The water is moving quite quickly, it’s quite murky due to the high water. We are not recommending people go on the water,” said Kaylee Wells, a general manager at the Enderby and District Chamber of Commerce.

Wells said those who do decide to risk it are advised to use extreme caution, keep their floats short and bring life-jackets.

The warning comes after a death in Penticton and a rescue in the Shuswap River near Enderby.

In late June, Micky Vandemortel was on the Shuswap River in a boat when a group of six tubers floated past. He could tell they were headed for trouble.

“They were going pretty fast and I looked over at my buddy Luke and I said, ‘Those guys are going to hit the log jam,’” Vandemortel said.

The boaters headed towards the log jam and sure enough, the group of young tubers had already hit it.

“A couple of them went underneath. They popped back up down river. A couple of the floaties got snagged up on the log jam,” Vandemortel said.

“They were in quite dire need of some help, but everybody turned out to be fine.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They were in quite dire need of some help, but everybody turned out to be fine."

Some of their tubes popped and some of the people were swept further down river. The boaters ended up helping the tubers to safety.

“They would have just been stuck on that island with the log jam,” Vandemortel said.

When water levels drop and tubing resumes, the advice from locals is to stick to the middle of the channel to avoid hazards, stay alert and watch where you are going. They advise you to know your float times and take all your garbage with you.