A recovery effort is underway to recover the body of a man who is believed to have drowned in Okanagan Lake.
West Kelowna RCMP say the man went swimming near Tugboat Beach on Sunday, around 6 p.m., and that he failed to resurface.
According to police, people in the area tried to locate the 29-year-old Kelowna man, but were unable to find him.
Police say they, the Kelowna Fire Department and members of Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR), tried locating the man, but, despite extensive efforts, were also unable to locate him, and that he is presumed to have drowned.
On Monday, the RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team and COSAR are trying to locate the man’s body.
“For the safety of our divers and the entire search team, we request that boaters remain away from the area while we complete our search,” said Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy
“At this time, we unable to estimate how long this operation will be on-going.”
Further, police said numerous members of the public have attended either to try to assist search efforts or to conduct their own independent searches.
“RCMP and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue appreciate our community’s desire to assist persons in distress, but these high-risk and coordinated searches are fully resourced and do not require additional resources,” Kelowna RCMP said.
“In particular, search officials are requesting that drones not be brought into these areas. The operation of drones in an active search area can prevent the air search from continuing because they pose a danger to aircraft.”
Police said the B.C. Coroners Service has been notified.
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