BURST
Two people who fell from their paddleboard near Squamish have been found dead.
On Tuesday afternoon, Squamish RCMP confirmed the bodies of the two paddleboarders had been located in Browning Lake after a search that was launched on May 30.
Around 3 p.m. that day, officials were contacted after two people were reported missing. They had been paddle boarding on Browning Lake in Murrin Provincial Park before they were believed to have fallen and did not resurface.
“A co-ordinated search effort was immediately initiated,” police said.
Among the groups tapped to assist in the search were Squamish Search and Rescue, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, Squamish Fire Rescue, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and RCMP Air One.
The search continued through the weekend. The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team returned to the lake on Tuesday to continue the search before the bodies were found.
“We are deeply grateful for the dedicated support and co-ordinated efforts of our specialized teams and partner agencies who assisted in this search and recovery,” said Staff Sgt. Sasha Banks.
Murrin Provincial Park, where the lake is located, was closed to the public Saturday evening for the police investigation and to allow the search to continue. Browning is a small lake just off the Sea to Sky Highway a few kilometres north of Britannia Beach.