A boat collision on Osoyoos Lake that killed two B.C. men last year was a “tragic accident” according to police.
The main causes of the June 2019 collision were “speed and reduced visibility due to sun in the deceased driver’s eyes,” Osoyoos RCMP said.
Police won’t be recommending prosecutors consider charges in the case.
Friends Nicholas Trask, 36, and Ryan Ellison, 35, died last June after the speedboat they were in collided with an aluminum boat with three people on board.
The three people in the other vessel were rescued and transported to hospital with minor injuries.
The bodies of Trask and Ellison were recovered a day later by the RCMP underwater recovery team.
On Monday, the first anniversary of the fatal crash, friends and family returned to Osoyoos Lake to pay their respects.
Police took Trask’s mother and sister out onto the lake to the location where he died at 7:14 p.m., the exact time he lost his life.
There they sunk an anchor with meaningful messages.
Sgt. Jason Bayda said the trip to the scene was a gesture of support for the family as they marked the somber anniversary.
“Although I cannot bring their loved ones back, I am hoping this small gesture will help them in this difficult time,” Bayda said, in an email to Global News.
On shore, family and friends put roses into the water in memory of Trask and quietly reflected to the sound of lapping waves.
“It just helps all of us get through how this happened,” said Trask’s wife, Melissa.
Melissa Trask said she remembers her husband as a loving father, an amazing husband, and a free spirit with the craziest laugh who loved the outdoors.
“He is such a great soul and nobody will ever forget him,” she said.
Melissa and Nicholas Trask and their two sons were visiting the Okanagan for a camping trip, along with Nicholas Trask’s friend Ryan Ellison, when the fatal collision occurred.
— with files from Shelby Thom and Klaudia Van Emmerik