LAKE COWICHAN — “Oh, it’s freezing!” That’s not the sort of shouting that can normally be heard from tubers basking in the heat on a summer float down the Cowichan River. Tuesday It’s windy, cool, and instead of refreshing the water temperature can be dangerous. We caught one shivering family fresh from the water. They jumped in thinking it would be much warmer. It’s just the situation Cowichan Search and Rescue volunteer Lana Ryan says can take a scary turn, especially with small children whose body temperature can drop dramatically. “They were waiting for their ride out of the sun and shivering, I asked them to move into the sun where it’s warmer…They weren’t too bad, but they were mildly hypothermic for sure.” Ryan was pleased to see the kids wearing personal flotation devices, and suggests all tubers bring along a “dry bag” filled with at least a shirt and hat in case they get stranded on the water. Cowichan Search and Rescue is called to the river three or four times a summer, and a nearby memorial is a sad reminder of the worst case scenario: the death of a 21-year old visiting from Mexico in 2008 who fell off his inflatable and drowned. Ryan says the death two days ago of a European tourist who slipped on rocks near Campbell River could happen anywhere. “Once your feet are wet, it creates a different surface you’re walking it. It’s really slippery.” Lake Cowichan RCMP equip each of their vehicles with hydrostatic pfd’s for members, throw bags for rescues, and …
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