Latest In

News

Man’s Drowning Averted At Skaha Lake - A Huge Thanks To The Hero Family

A family's trip to Penticton for Father's Day quickly turned into a mission to save lives. Just before 11:00 p.m. On Friday, while the group was relaxing at their campsite, they heard calls for help coming from Skaha Lake. They have heard a man’s drowning averted at Skaha Lake.

Author:Paula M. Graham
Reviewer:Rhyley Carney
Jun 20, 20221.8K Shares39.4K Views
A family's trip to Penticton for Father's Day quickly turned into a mission to save lives.
Just before 11:00 p.m. On Friday, while the group was relaxing at their campsite, they heard calls for help coming from Skaha Lake. They have heard a man’s drowning averted at Skaha Lake.

The Voices From Far - The Day They Became Heroes

Penticton boat driving on a beach
Penticton boat driving on a beach
According to one of the heroes, Daniel Ferrer (one of the rescuers):
We were playing the guitar and singing some songs and then it was pretty late. We thought people were saying help, help, help. And then more people started screaming, yelling. Then we thought something was wrong like something was going on.
Ferrer then got Dr. Henry Reis and certified lifeguard Bruno James together, and the three of them got to work right away.
At Okanagan Lake, an off-duty Mountie saved a toddler from drowning.
Dr. Reis said:
[Daniel] was pulling the boat from his car saying we need to set up the boat. He was setting up one part of the boat and I did another and in less than 10 minutes we had a boat up and running and went into the water.
Marina Costa called 911 from shore as the three set out on the lake. Costa also said:
It was really scary to think that this person passed away or maybe drowned, so I’m really glad we called 911 and I’m really glad they decided to jump in the water.
Rescuers think that the group of young people may have tried to swim in the Penticton River channel, but the fast-moving water pushed them into Lake Skaha.
Ferrer said:
On the other side of the lake, people were shouting and there were people with flashlights and cell phone lights on the border of the lake. So, we started getting closer to the limit thinking that could be the person.

The Challenge They Have To Face

A drowning man sticks his head above water
A drowning man sticks his head above water
The group says that it was dark outside and that the person didn't respond to their voices, which made it even harder to save them.
But after a few minutes, he saw the victim's head sticking out of the water. Dr. Rees told them as they got closer that he was hoping for the best but getting ready for the worst. According to Dr. Reis:
I told my friends I said you know, as a doctor, have you ever seen a dead person in front of you? Have you ever seen any CPR? You can see that’s why stay calm today. I I’ll get that person on the boat and do CPR. So, whatever happens, please stay calm. To our surprise, this young man was still gasping for air with his head barely above the water line, and our friend Bruno jumped into the water, grabbed him, and brought him to the boat and took him to a boat. CPR was not required. He was breathing barley and was very cold.
Dr. Daniela Albuquerque said that her husband, Dr. Rees, and the other two men didn't even think twice before acting. They stated that the first thing they said as parents and doctors is that they have to jump in the water.
But the water was really cold and the first thing they thought about it was hypothermia.

The Hero Family's Encouragement

Dr. Riso said that we all have the responsibility to find our peers in our community. So, if we have a situation where we feel we can help, even if we are not 100 percent sure that we can, just try and do what is the best for the community.
They hope that the gentleman who is rescued saw that he makes it forward at some opportunity down the road.
As soon as the group got the man out of the water, rescuers came. The man was taken to a hospital while paramedics worked on him.
Jump to
Paula M. Graham

Paula M. Graham

Author
Rhyley Carney

Rhyley Carney

Reviewer
Latest Articles
Popular Articles