Following the drowning death of one person at Spray Lakes in Kananaskis Country on Sunday, RCMP, conservation officers and Cochrane Search and Rescue searched the reservoir for two missing people on Monday who were presumed to have drowned.
Crews extricated the overturned vessel, which had four people aboard. One managed to get out of the water.
CTV News filmed search crews bringing two large yellow bags ashore before they were loaded into the back of a police car and the officer left the scene.
Much of the search effort was focused on the west side of the lake, about 7.5 kilometers from the north end.
For one drowning awareness group, this tragedy should remind everyone to be careful around bodies of water this summer.
“This incident that happened over the weekend, you know it’s cause for concern,” said Kelly Carter, CEO of the Lifesaving Society for Alberta and Northwest Territories.
“But it also serves as a reminder and a highlight for everyone about the importance of water safety, that water must be respected.” It is dangerous and even good swimmers can drown. So whatever we do around the water, we want to make sure we’re safe.
Carter said life jackets will save lives.
“We’re on a boat, we’re wearing a life jacket,” he said.
“If we have small children, we stay at arm’s length and keep an eye on them.”
RCMP have not released the identities, ages or genders of the four people involved.
Investigators did not say whether the boaters were wearing life jackets.
Mountain lakes are cold this time of year, with hypothermia occurring within minutes.
RCMP and a search and rescue team were still on the scene as of 4:00 p.m. Monday.
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