Latest news with #ThompsonRiver
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Presumed drowning death reignites calls for river safety in Kamloops — but city say it's not that simple
Social Sharing The presumed death of an international student who was swept away in the Thompson River last weekend was "entirely foreseeable [and] entirely preventable," according to a Kamloops, B.C., resident who saved two students from a similar fate last year. Robert Griffiths, who says he nearly drowned during his rescue efforts near the city's airport last summer, says the city has done nothing to increase safety in popular areas along the river, such as increasing signage or installing life rings. But a City of Kamloops official says installing safety equipment could actually increase the risk of drownings by giving the impression that dangerous areas of the river are safe to swim in — exposing the city to liability. On July 6, a Thompson Rivers University international student was playing volleyball on a popular local beach at Overlanders Park when the ball went into the water. When the man in his 20s went to retrieve it, he got swept away in the strong currents, despite attempts by two friends to rescue him. Police, firefighters and two search and rescue teams have done extensive searches of the area, but the man has not been found and the search is now considered a recovery mission, according to Kamloops Search and Rescue. WATCH | Student swept away in Thompson River: Man missing after trying to retrieve a volleyball from Kamloops river 3 days ago Duration 1:44 Search crews are still out along the Thompson River in Kamloops looking for a man who got swept away Sunday evening. A Thompson Rivers University international student was playing volleyball with friends when the ball went into the water. As Jennifer Norwell reports, when he went in to retrieve it, he ran into issues. While two of his friends tried to help, the man in his 20s was not able to be pulled from the water. The tragedy prompted Griffiths, 53, to once again call on the City of Kamloops to boost safety measures. "We should be taking a more proactive approach to communicating hazards and risks for residents and visitors and guests to our city," he told CBC News. Griffiths, who is an industrial safety manager, says he has called for these changes a number of times since his own rescue effort last year, but nothing has been done. But a city official says there are no plans to install additional signs or life rings at unsanctioned swimming areas in the city, explaining that suggested changes would be legally risky and could actually entice people into dangerous water. City of Kamloops director of protective services Ken Uzeloc says Riverside Beach — upstream from where the student was swept away on the weekend — is the only beach in the city that's considered safe for swimming, and only within roped areas when lifeguards are working. "If we start opening up other beaches and putting safety equipment along there, it does give that indication, 'OK, well, they're putting this here in case something happens, so it must be OK to swim in this area,'" Uzeloc said. Uzeloc says all of the rivers around Kamloops are deceptively dangerous. "On top, it may look calm and smooth, but underneath there's quite a current to it. It goes very fast. The water is cold and even experienced swimmers can have difficulty when they get into that current." Kamloops Search and Rescue swift water rescue lead Frank Pryce agrees. "If you're not a good swimmer, don't go in the water. It's that simple." City tried life rings in the past Uzeloc says the city has placed life rings at other beaches in the past, but they kept being stolen or vandalized. "It became an endless battle to try and ensure that those life rings were available," he said. He says the amount of time needed to check on each ring every day would end up being a huge commitment of resources — and the city could be liable if the ring was damaged or missing in an emergency. "If we're putting something like that in place as a safety feature and then it's not there when people need it, it becomes negligence on behalf of the city," Uzeloc said. While many communities don't have life rings near waterways, some like Langford, Salmon Arm, Quesnel and Ladysmith have added them at local beaches. Uzeloc says he can't speak to the decisions other cities make when it comes to river safety as he hasn't looked into cases beyond what impacts Kamloops directly. When it comes to enhanced signage, Uzeloc says there are signs at most of the entrances to popular city beaches. "We can't put signage along the whole riverbanks, the whole city limits — it's just not a feasible plan," he said. "I hate to say it, but at some point, people have to start paying attention to the warnings that people are giving them," he added. Pryce, with Kamloops SAR, says he's not sure that having increased signage or life rings would have made a difference in keeping the man from being swept away on the weekend. He says the stretch of river at Overlanders Park is particularly dangerous because there are sudden drop-offs in the soft sand that can land people in deep, swirling currents. "You could put a million signs on this river or any other river or any lake, and I don't really think that makes a big difference. The big difference is to be educated," he said. The City of Kamloops launched an education campaign earlier this summer with radio ads and updated information on its website to let people know about the risks of river swimming.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- CTV News
Crews searching for student swept away by Thompson River
Crews are seen searching for a missing man along the Thompson River on Monday, July 7. (Courtesy: Josh Dawson/Castanet) Crews were out in Kamloops Monday to search for a man who possibly drowned in the Thompson River while playing volleyball, according to authorities. The Kamloops RCMP says it first received a call from the BC Ambulance Service for help around 5:14 p.m. Sunday just east of the Overlander Bridge. 'According to the report a man entered the river to retrieve a volleyball and got caught in the undercurrent,' said spokesperson Cpl. Dana Napier, in a statement Monday. 'Two more men from the group who entered the water to assist were also caught in the current. Two of the initial three were saved while the third appeared to be pulled away and went under the water.' Search and rescue volunteers and RCMP Air Services were involved in Monday's search. The missing man has been identified as an international student at Thompson Rivers University but police are not releasing his name. Mounties asked the public to keep an eye on the shoreline and to call 250-828-3000 if they have information.
CBC
07-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Man missing after trying to retrieve volleyball from Kamloops, B.C., river
Rescue crews are continuing their search for a man along the Thompson River in Kamloops, B.C., after he went missing Sunday night. The man was playing volleyball at Overlander Park when the ball went into the water, says Paula Davis, search manager with Kamloops Search and Rescue. Davis says the man went to retrieve the ball in the river, where he began to struggle. "Friends jumped in to try to help him but they were also ... struggling as well," Davis told host Shelley Joyce on CBC's Daybreak Kamloops. "The friends were able to get themselves to safety, but unfortunately the young man wasn't able to." Davis says the man was in his mid-20s, but didn't provide any further details about him. CBC News has reached out to Kamloops RCMP for more information. Overlander Park is located in the city's North Shore neighbourhood, right by the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers. Davis says Kamloops Fire and Rescue did a sweep of the area from the park to the airport Sunday night and did not find the man. Kamloops SAR continued the search by kayak and deployed a drone, but were also unsuccessful. The search continued Monday morning, with Vernon Search and Rescue expected to assist. Davis says they'll search the area where the man was last seen and continue downstream, but says poor visibility in the river could hamper their efforts. Davis also warns the river is "very dangerous this time of year" due to its currents. The only designated river swimming beach in Kamloops is Riverside Park, across the river from Overlander Park. "You don't want to underestimate it, that's for sure," she says. "It's really best to stay out of the water unless you're in an area that has pretty much no current." Davis is asking the public to stay out of the search areas while rescue crews work Monday.
