Latest news with #CatesPark
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Kayaker saw high-speed boat before deadly B.C. crash in ‘very problematic area'
First responders are pictured at the scene of a fatal boat crash at North Vancouver's Cates Park on Saturday, June 7. VANCOUVER — North Vancouver resident John Belisle and his wife frequently kayak in the waters off Cates Park in North Vancouver. But they'd never seen a boat going as fast as the one that sped by just before a deadly crash on Saturday that killed a 10-year-old and left another child in critical condition. Read more: Boy killed in North Vancouver boat crash identified online It happened in what Belisle called a 'very problematic area.' Belisle said he and his wife live not far from the park, and its waters are typically 'teeming' with boats, kayakers and paddle boarders on hot days. 'In the evening, everybody is in a rush to get out of there and so we're very careful when we're paddling across there because there's so many boats just booting it up the sound,' Belisle said Monday. The couple were sitting on some rocks across from Deep Cove on Saturday and saw two boats going very fast side by side, one of them a 'long-type cigarette boat' that was moving faster than anything he'd ever seen on the narrow waters off the park. Belisle said he and his wife were struck by the boat's speed and closeness to shore. They lost sight of it around a bend before paddling back to the Deep Cove side of Indian Arm. 'By the time we got to the other side, we started hearing sirens and my wife literally looked at me and went, 'I hope that wasn't that freaking boat,'' he said. 'Later on that evening on the news, the first shot we saw was it parked at the dock and we just went, 'oh, it was that boat.'' North Vancouver RCMP said Sunday that the children were riding an inner tube when it was struck by a speed boat. Police said alcohol and speed may have played a role in the deadly collision, and the driver of the speed boat was taken into custody after the crash but has not yet been charged. Boating safety advocates, first responders and anti-drunk driving campaigners said people can fail to understand dangers on the water compared to the road. The executive director of Boating BC said Monday that some had a false sense of security on the water, and aquatic crashes can happen in an instant if safety isn't a top priority. The advocacy association's Bruce Hayne said deadly boat crashes are infrequent, but are 'absolutely horrific when they do occur.' Hayne said the association does safety campaigns every year as boating season begins around the May long weekend, encouraging safe speeds, life-jacket use and sober operating. 'Something can happen in a blink of an eye, and if you're not wearing a life-jacket, then it's not doing you any good,' he said. 'The next one — right beside it, in no specific order — is to boat sober, and we drive that message home year after year. Some people continue to ignore that advice.' He said some boaters mistakenly believe there's less enforcement of the rules and regulations on the water. Mothers Against Drunk Driving national president Tanya Hansen Pratt said Monday that she felt 'a lot of sadness, a lot of frustration' upon hearing the news of the crash. 'My first thought was, 'oh no, not again,' she said. 'And just an immediate frustration. If alcohol is involved, that makes for a very preventable crash.' Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. spokesman Ian Tait said calls like those that came in on Saturday can sometimes be both 'life changing and career ending' for first responders. 'It's hard to go on for the rest of your day and not have something like that affect you,' he said. Tait said the summertime brings more calls about car accidents, boating accidents, campfire burns and other injuries involving the outdoors. 'Unfortunately, a reoccurring theme in a lot of these things is when alcohol isn't used responsibly,' he said. Belisle said he gave a statement to police about what he saw on Saturday, and he said multiple other witnesses gave a similar account. 'You could never imagine actually getting hit by a boat,' he said. 'We actually went out yesterday and my wife was just like, 'I think let's just stick to this side today.'' This report by Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press, was first published June 9, 2025.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Boy killed in North Vancouver boat crash identified online
Lionel, the victim of a fatal boat crash in North Vancouver on Saturday, June 7, is pictured with his mother Shelley Klassen in this image posted on a GoFundMe page for the family. The boy killed in a heartbreaking boating incident in North Vancouver Saturday has been identified in an online fundraiser as 10-year-old Lionel. The page, set up by friends of the boy's parents, describes Lionel as clever, sweet, and a talented athlete. It says his 11th birthday would have been in July, and he leaves behind two older siblings. 'Lionel was pure joy and a bright light to all that new him,' the fundraiser reads. Lionel died after a speedboat crashed into the inner tube he was riding with a friend in the waters off of Cates Park. The other boy, who has not been publicly identified, remains in critical condition Monday. Mounties believe both alcohol and speed were factors in the deadly crash, and arrested the driver of the speedboat. The suspect has not been charged yet and was released from custody with conditions Sunday evening. He is due back in court on Aug. 27. 'In order to hold somebody in custody, they would have to be an immediate high risk to public safety,' Cpl. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP explained. 'And if there's fear that he might be a flight risk.' He said the investigation into the incident is complex and it will take some time to present all the evidence to the BC Prosecution Service for charges to be laid. With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kevin Charach
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
1 child dead in boat crash at North Vancouver's Cates Park
An 11-year-old was killed and another is in critical condition after a speedboat hit an inflatable tube carrying two children at Cates Park in North Vancouver Saturday evening. As Leanne Yu reports, police say alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
One child dead, another critical after their inflatable is hit by speed boat in North Vancouver
A fun Saturday evening on the water in North Vancouver ended in tragedy when two kids being towed by boat in an inflatable tube were allegedly hit by a speed boat, leaving one dead and the other in critical condition. North Vancouver RCMP and other first responders were called to the waters off Cates Park at about 6:30 p.m. Emergency crews tried to give the children life-saving measures but one died at the waterfront. The second child was airlifted to hospital in critical condition. The operator of the speed boat was arrested and is in custody while police investigate the cause of the fatal crash. 'Alcohol and speed may have been a factor in the collision,' said RCMP Cpl. Mansoor Sahak in a statement on Sunday afternoon. 'Our sincerest condolences to the child's family and friends as they deal with this tragic loss of life,' said Sahak, who said victim services has been called in and is supporting the family. He said anyone who needs help dealing with the 'tragic incident' can call victim services at 604-969-7540. Anyone who saw the crash or what happened beforehand, or took video at the scene, is asked to call investigators at 604-985-1311. 'Police have received multiple calls from witnesses, but there may be more out there,' said Sahak. Eight units from B.C. Emergency Health Services, including an infant care team and a helicopter, along with crews from the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, assisted police at the scene. 'This was a major incident that required a response from multiple agencies. North Vancouver RCMP would like to thank everyone involved,' said Sahak. jruttle@ Family says Coquitlam man could have died from extreme cellulitis after neglect from CLBC Pickup truck with bad brakes crashes on B.C. Ferries vessel in Powell River
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
‘Tragic' boating collision under investigation in North Vancouver
First responders are seen at Cates Park in North Vancouver after a boat collision on Saturday, June 7. An investigation is underway into what first responders are calling a 'tragic accident' on the water near Cates Park in North Vancouver Saturday evening. B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed one person was airlifted to hospital in serious condition after a boating incident at approximately 6:30 p.m. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre told CTV News the crash involved two pleasure crafts. A coroner was on site along with police, firefighters, paramedics, the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, but authorities have not officially confirmed any deaths. 'Our thoughts are with the families and all of those affected,' the search and rescue group wrote on social media Sunday. Just before 8:30 p.m., the North Vancouver RCMP said it was responding to a 'serious boat collision' and the Cates Park boat launch was closed for police to investigate. Mounties are yet to provide an update. On social media, District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little asked anyone who witnessed the incident to call the RCMP's non-emergency line.
