11 rescued from overturned pontoon boat on Okanagan Lake

A Good Samaritan fished 11 men from Okanagan Lake last weekend after their possibly top-heavy pontoon boat flipped over.

The boat flipped over before 2 p.m. July 23 approximately 400 metres north of the WRC Bennett Bridge and RCMP said none of the boaters were wearing life-jackets when another boater found them.

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“All boaters were accounted for and the only injury incurred was a scraped shin,” RCMP said in a press release.

The boat was towed to shore and the rental company has removed it for repairs.

“The Okanagan is busy this time of the year with many enjoying the lake but this could have easily turned into a tragedy if it was not for the actions of the people who arrived to assist,” Const. Mike Della-Paolera, Kelowna media relations officer, said in a press release.

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The West Kelowna RCMP is continuing the investigation into the reason the boat overturned but it appears that passengers were on the upper deck, causing the boat to be top-heavy.