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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Drowned Hikers

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

My friend at work owns a recreational property near this lake and knows the lake is frigidly cold even in the middle of summer. The lake is static so the upper layer is warmer but most people know you can't swim across the lake. These guys apparentkly went on a long hike (you can easily go 10-20 kilometers) in the hot sun then decided to swim across the lake. After 10 minutes in the cold lake they likely just cramped up and couldn't make it back to shore. I feel sorry for them but they were very stupid. For Darwin purposes, they were young enough to likely not pass along their stupidity to further progeny.

Here is the reference and story. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=8594267c-0079-4a47-bdf6-231208b3c27b

Drowned hikers die one day apart in Lightning Lake SFU students' bodies found in same part of Manning Park lake Katie Mercer, The Province Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Lightning Lake struck twice on the weekend, claiming the lives of two SFU students in two separate drownings one day apart.

Princeton RCMP say the drownings were eerily similar.

"In a strange twist, both drowned 150 feet apart and both were students at Simon Fraser University," said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Houben.

RCMP say two SFU students drowned while hiking at Lightning Lake in Manning Park. Nick Murphy file photo - The Province

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Printer friendly Font:****And the similarities don't stop there, Houben said.

The men were both on hiking trips and their bodies were found in two to three metres of water near the lake's crowded campground in Manning Park.

"Ironically, they were both also pronounced dead at the same time, at 7:30 p.m., a day apart," said Houben.

Police say a 28-year-old Chinese exchange student was on a hiking trip with six or seven fellow students when he decided to cool off on Saturday at about 2 p.m.

Searchers found his body about 20 minutes later.

Bystanders performed CPR for about 90 minutes on the third-year science student but he could not be revived. He was airlifted to Royal Columbia Hospital were he was pronounced dead.

Then on Sunday, a 19-year-old male was on a day-hike with his family when he decided to take a swim in the same waters.

Houben said the teen's family noticed he was struggling before he slipped under the surface. Family members desperately searched the frigid water until a man dove in and found the body.

Bystanders once again performed CPR but it was too late. Paramedics flown in to the lake pronounced him dead at the camping ground -- exactly 24 hours after the other SFU student was pronounced dead.

The teen had been visiting from Ontario and was set to begin his first year at SFU next month, said university spokesman Don MacLachlan.

MacLachlan said university staff are working with the Chinese consulate in Vancouver to make arrangements with the family of the 28-year-old.

"We're just in a state of shock, as you can imagine," said MacLachlan. "It's a terrible tragedy for the families and it's a shock for the university and the students."

No names were released.

Prior to last weekend, there hadn't been a drowning in Manning Park for years, said Houben. He said few people swim in the unsupervised lake because it is static -- the water doesn't move, making the top layer warm and the bottom frigidly cold.

"I would surmise that they were cramping up and going under in panic," he said.

Dale Miller, executive director of the B.C. Lifesaving Society, said the recent warm weather may be causing a spike in drownings.

"There certainly has been a rash this week," said Miller. "It's been great weather, which has everyone out on the water."

Miller said that 99 per cent of drownings typically occur in unsupervised waters, including provincial parks like Manning Park. Warmer weather and drownings come hand-in-hand.

But those numbers are on the rise this year, said Miller, with 39 drowning deaths so far this year compared to 32 by the same time last year.

"We try to put the warning signs out there every year, but this always seems to happen," said Miller.

kmercer@theprovince.com

© The Vancouver Province 2008

Submitted on 08/25/2008

Submitted by: Mark Pfeifer
Reference: The Province (newspaper); Aug 19, 2008

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Thanks, Mark, but such incidents are amazingly common. We get numerous similar stories when the weather is nice.


Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I think trying to swim across a large lake that everyone knows is ice-cold just below the surface even in summer is beyond stupid. Ordinary stupid would've been drowning while swimming near the shore.


Tracy said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Sorry - but I think this kind of story is all too common, unfortunately. Thanks for submitting it anyway


James said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
I myself find this sort of thing alarmingly common (as it is, this story involves two separate incidents). Chances are that neither victim was familiar with the characteristics of the local lakes and they WERE deceptively calm and tempting. I cannot fault the victims for wanting to take a dip! I'll call this a double tragic accident, but we DO appreciate the submission, Mark!


Shadow said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
i agree way to common


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