A 12-year-old Calgary girl drowned Monday night after slipping into the water off the sand spit at Swiws, the former Haynes Point Provincial Park.
Osoyoos RCMP said several waves caused the girl to lose her footing and slip into deeper water. Her friend held onto her hand, but the girl slipped further into the water and her friend could no longer hold on.
The girl did not know how to swim and she was not wearing a life jacket.
Many people on shore and local boaters converged on the area and frantically searched the water, the RCMP said.
The search was joined by four RCMP members, the Osoyoos Fire Department and three helicopters that had been in the area working on the fires.
After nearly 40 minutes of searching, an employee of the Swiws campground located the girl in about 10 feet of water. He brought her to the police boat and she was transported to shore.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, the girl did not survive. The girl and her family were visiting from Calgary, Osoyoos RCMP said.
This was the second drowning on Osoyoos Lake this year. On June 28, a 34-year-old man from North Vancouver drowned in a personal watercraft accident. His body was recovered Sunday.
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