Passerby rescues kayaker from drowning in Okanagan Lake

An Okanagan man is being lauded after saving a kayaker from drowning on Thursday afternoon.

West Kelowna RCMP say the kayaker, a West Kelowna man in his 50s, was approximately 30 feet from shore on Okanagan Lake in Peachland when his kayak overturned.

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Police say he was not wearing a life jacket at the time and was struggling to keep himself above water.

The kayaker began calling for help, and a passerby along the 4000 block of Beach Avenue sprung to help him, leaping into the lake’s cold waters and pulling him ashore.

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“A Peachland resident was in the area at the time, unaware of the incident on the water when he heard a faint call for help,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.

“The man, who is being considered a hero, spotted the kayaker struggling to stay above the water’s surface and plunged into the frigid waters of the lake to help.”

The kayaker was assessed at the scene by emergency personnel and was transported to hospital for cold-water exposure.