Okanagan Lake missing diver - British Columbia

[DandyDon]

Search crews looking for missing diver in Okanagan Lake near Kelowna’s City Park - Kelowna Capital News

ORIGINAL:
Searchers are looking for a diver who was reported missing in Okanagan Lake near Kelowna’s City Park on Saturday (May 15).
At around 2:50 p.m., RCMP received reports of a diver missing. According to fire crews on scene, a search boat from Marine Rescue 2 was issued to help search for the diver.
No status of the diver was provided. The story will be updated as more developments become available.
UPDATE (4:20 p.m.):
Marine Rescue 2 was unable to locate the missing diver, according to Kelowna Fire Department.
Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) has been called into assist with the search.

 

[DandyDon]

Search efforts resume to find missing diver in Okanagan Lake

Extensive search efforts are underway to find a missing recreational diver who failed to resurface on Okanagan Lake in West Kelowna on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency crews rushed to Okanagan Lake on the east side of the William Bennett Bridge in response to a 911 call for a report of a possible drowning, at approximately 2:50 p.m. on Saturday.

The 52-year-old man was with a diving group, but failed to resurface and the group was unable to locate him.

Efforts to find the diver on Saturday were unsuccessful.

The Kelowna fire department, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR), as well as the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team will resume the search on Sunday.

COSAR search manager Duane Tresnich said members are utilizing underwater sonar in a specific area of the lake.

“We have a pretty close area around the bridge and that is where we are focusing our searching at the moment,” he said.

Tresnich said lake conditions on Saturday afternoon may have been problematic for diving.

“What we were told yesterday is that there was an unusually strong current that was flowing underneath the bridge,” he said.

Police are asking the public to provide space and distance on the lake while the search continues.

“Please stay away from the search. We are at the east side, so the small underpass, if they can stay away from the area as we are searching, that would be great,” Tresnich said.

 

[spc751]

I am a member of the same dive club and know everyone there. Diver A who has dived this site about half a dozen times is a regular dive buddy of diver B who has dived this site a couple of times. Diver C and D are regular dive buddies and have never dived this site. All four divers sometimes dive together at other sites. All divers are experienced in similar conditions such as strong current and very limited visibility.

Diver A led both dives on this site. About 10 minutes into the first dive, diver C disappeared, diver D observed that diver C was missing, notified divers A and B and initiated lost diver protocol. Dive buddy C was found within five minutes and the dive was completed without additional problems. During surface interval the dive was discussed including the successful lost diver protocol.

Dive two on the opposite side of the bridge. The plan was to descend at the buoy, swim to the south west corner of the bridge then continue along the west side of the bridge. Due to limited visibility and strong current, diver D got separated and surfaced back near shore but down current of bridge. Diver D did a surface swim to the south west corner of the bridge looking for the other three divers expecting them to be on the surface looking for him. Continued surface swim along dive route looking for bubbles or divers. Started to return to shore to call for help. Between buoy and beach saw divers appear under bridge. Returned to bridge and saw only two divers (diver A and B). Asked diver A where diver C was and was told "with you".
Signaled nearby boats to look for missing diver and to phone police and SAR.

 

[DandyDon]

It's been 2½ weeks since he went missing, and they have continued to search much longer than usual in these cases. I guess that the water is cold enough to delay natural floatation to develop, but they finally recovered him.

Body of missing diver recovered from Okanagan Lake: RCMP

The search for a missing diver in Okanagan Lake is over, say Kelowna RCMP, after a body was found on Tuesday morning.

According to police, a member of the public spotted what appeared to be the body of a diver in the water, just south of the W.R. Bennett Bridge, just after 7 a.m.

“The body has been brought to shore, and the West Kelowna RCMP will be working with the BC Coroners Service as it continues its investigation,” police said in a press release.

Police say the body is believed to be that of Brian Lannon, who went missing on Saturday, May 15.

“A massive search has been ongoing for the body of a 52-year-old diver who went missing May 15, 2021, while recreationally diving near the W. R. Bennett Bridge,” said police.

“That search is now concluded.”

Lannon was a captain with Kamloops Fire Rescue, having served as a firefighter since 1994, according to his family.

“We would like to thank our partners with the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR), and the Kelowna and Kamloops Fire and Rescue for all their efforts over the past few weeks conducting this search,” said West Kelowna RCMP Staff Sgt. Duncan Dixon.

“We would also like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers who are experiencing this terrible loss.”

 

[fireted]

Body Recovered June 1st-2021 mid-day !

 

[M DeM]

It's been 2½ weeks since he went missing, and they have continued to search much longer than usual in these cases. I guess that the water is cold enough to delay natural floatation to develop, but they finally recovered him.

Body of missing diver recovered from Okanagan Lake: RCMP

Do they know what happened?

 

[spc751]

No information yet.

 

[nadwidny]

No information yet.

And most likely never will be.