A 16-year-old from Pennsylvania drowned Friday after getting caught in a strong current at Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon.
The teen was swimming with family and friends when he was pulled underwater just before 4 p.m.
Several onlookers heard cries for help and “put themselves at great risk” to get down to the water to attempt to rescue the boy, according to District of North Vancouver assistant fire chief Chad Laforet.
The teen was unconscious when rescuers arrived on the scene at approximately 4:10 p.m. and pulled him out of the water, Laforet reported.
The rescuers performed CPR at the scene. Emergency crews conducted an 18-metre rope rescue to lift the teen out of the isolated area and then rushed him to hospital, according to North Vancouver RCMP.
The boy was pronounced dead at Lions Gate Hospital.
The strong current at Twin Falls was the “major factor” in the drowning, said North Vancouver RCMP Staff Sgt. Dan Guilfoyle.
Despite extensive signage and fencing around the area as well as patrols by park rangers, Lynn Canyon continues to attract divers and swimmers, according to Guilfoyle.
“It just continues to be an area that is high risk and people, unfortunately, ignore those warnings,” he said. “There’s a family that’s dealing with a tragedy, and it’s certainly preventable.”
Rescue crews regularly deal with swimmers and divers around Lynn Canyon in the summer, said Laforet.
“As beautiful as the canyon is, the swift water environment and cliff diving is extremely dangerous,” he warned.
There have been 31 deaths in the canyon in the past 24 years, according to the District of North Vancouver Fire Department.
Despite efforts on multiple fronts to keep cliff divers out of Lynn Canyon, it’s tough to determine how well municipal safety initiatives have worked, noted District of North Vancouver spokeswoman Stephanie Smiley.
After recording 17 fatalities in Lynn Canyon in a span of 12 years, the District of North Vancouver instituted a park ranger plan in 1993. The district now employs six rangers between Easter and Labour Day as well as one full-time ranger based in Lynn Canyon. The district has erected extensive fencing near dangerous areas as well as a series of signs featuring sarcastic, irreverent phrases intended to resonate with young men. Phrases include: That Was Worth The Spinal Damage, Said No One Ever, and Listen To That Nervous Feeling.
“We’re trying to do everything we can. There are limits, obviously, to what can be done,” Smiley said.
The signs appear popular, as the district has been forced to replace a few of the placards that have gone missing. “It’s difficult to say what impact they’ve had,” Smiley said. “Even if it dissuades just one (cliff jumper), it’s worth it.”
More and more outdoor enthusiasts are flocking to North Vancouver parks, with Lynn Canyon drawing approximately 500,000 visitors each year.
The district has recorded an increase in injuries in recent years. In 2014 there were six severe injuries, although no fatalities. In 2015, the district documented 17 severe injuries and one death.
Visitors also brought more alcohol to the canyon in 2015, with the district recording 1,602 alcohol incidents, an increase of more than 300 per cent from 2011.
While there have been suggestions about fining swimmers and cliff jumpers, the district has rejected a punitive approach due to logistical challenges.
“In order to issue those fines we would then have to put our rangers in very precarious and dangerous positions,” Smiley said.
The district favours an educational effort so that visitors intent on doing something dangerous have seen the signs and are “informed of the risk that they’re taking.”
Smiley emphasized the district welcomes park users but asks that they use good judgment.
“Water levels and the conditions can change very rapidly and can create a dangerous situation even when it doesn’t look dangerous,” Smiley said.
