RCMP and the BC Coroners service are investigating a drowning in the Cowichan River.
The Lake Cowichan RCMP was called on Monday evening to Marie Canyon, where witnesses said a 56-year old Vancouver man had been floating on a tube in the Cowichan River with friends.
The man was unable to get out of the river before reaching the Marie Canyon rapids.
His friends lost sight of him, but later found him about 500 meters downstream.
Media relations officer Sergeant Chris Manseau says the man was in medical distress, and first aid was given.
BC Ambulance and Lake Cowichan Fire assisted with life saving measures, but the man died at the scene.
The Cowichan River is a popular spot for tubing and swimming, and the RCMP want to remind everyone to use caution as sudden changes in the river can cause unforeseen hazards.
Manseau adds that swimming skills alone aren’t always enough to save a life
He says many drowning incidents involve other factors that swimming skills alone cannot prepare an individual for.
