West Kelowna RCMP say a 67-year-old drowned in Lake Okanagan during swimming event

Okanagan Lake is shown as motorists travel over the William R. Bennett Bridge, in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday, May 30, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VICTORIA — West Kelowna RCMP say a 67-year-old man drowned Saturday while attempting to swim across Lake Okanagan.

Mounties say in a statement that the senior was participating in the Swim Across the Lake event when another participant found him unresponsive in the water at around 9:50 A.M., about two hours after the start of the swim.

It says that the other participant and a paddleboarder pulled the man out of the water near Tugboat Beach in Kelowna, B.C., but attempts by BC Ambulance crews to resuscitate him failed.

West Kelowna RCMP, which was contacted about the drowning just before 10:30 a.m., say the family of the man has since been notified, after authorities were able to identify him through the wrist band that he wore as part of the event.

Police say the investigation into the incident remains ongoing with the BC Coroner Service.

Cst. Ginny Folster of West Kelowna RMCP says Saturday’s incident is a tragic reminder of just how fast environmental conditions can turn recreational activities into an emergency.

Organizers of the event say it is the largest and longest continuously running open water swim event in Canada, as participants swim 2.1 kilometres, starting in West Kelowna and ending at a beach in downtown Kelowna.

The event also includes a shorter course that is 1.5 kilometres long.

This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published July 19, 2026.