A man has drowned after falling from a paddleboard on Yellowknife’s Long Lake early on Thursday evening.
After his distress became apparent, people who went to his aid were unable to reach him in time, a witness said. He was described as not wearing a lifejacket at the time.
RCMP said he was 32 years old.
Long Lake, one of many lakes in and around Yellowknife, is a popular recreation area on the city’s western edge. The Folk on the Rocks summer music festival takes place alongside the lake’s sandy shore at the northern end of the city’s airport.
A beach at the lake’s eastern end forms the Fred Henne Territorial Park’s day use area.
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Yellowknife resident Charles Faubert was at the beach near the Fred Henne boat launch and kitchen shelters on Thursday evening with his family.
Shortly after 7pm, Faubert said, his wife witnessed a man fall from a paddleboard. Noticing that the man appeared to be in trouble, Faubert said he began sprinting in the direction of the paddleboard, which he estimated to be roughly 100 metres away.
Two or three other people also came to help, Faubert said, but they were still a few metres away when the man, a short distance from the paddleboard, disappeared from view. Rescuers tried in vain to find him beneath the surface.
Ultimately, Faubert said, side-scan sonar from a nearby fishing boat was used to establish the person’s location. By that point, shortly after 8pm, he said firefighters with a dinghy were on hand to mount a recovery operation.
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The person who passed away has not been publicly identified.
The man “was recovered from the water by the fire department and lifesaving efforts immediately began but were unsuccessful,” RCMP stated on Friday.
“This investigation remains ongoing in partnership with the Coroner’s Service.”
The man who died worked for the Holy Trinity Anglican Church as a youth counsellor, the church’s bishop told the CBC, adding the incident happened during an end-of-summer barbecue and party
Mayor of Yellowknife Ben Hendriksen said emergency responders had “acted swiftly” to deploy a rescue boat and carry out the search. Hendriksen said authoritieis had been alerted to the incident at 7:28pm.
The man whose side-scan sonar was used said his first sonar ping was carried out at 8:04pm, then a second at 8:27pm, after which a body was recovered.
“On behalf of the City of Yellowknife and our entire community, I extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this incredibly difficult time. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy,” Hendriksen said in a statement.
“I want to commend the professionalism and swift response of our Yellowknife Fire Division personnel, who worked tirelessly in their rescue efforts.
“Their commitment to serving our community, even in the most challenging circumstances, exemplifies the dedication of our first responders. The City will continue to cooperate with any ongoing investigations into this matter.”
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