Mission man drowns while paddleboarding at Hayward Lake
Posted July 10, 2026 1:08 pm.
A man paddleboarding at Hayward Lake Thursday evening has drowned.
Around 6 p.m., Mission RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and Mission Fire Rescue Service attended the scene to attempt to resuscitate the man.
The 58-year-old had been paddleboarding off the dog beach area when he lost his balance and fell in, police say.
The man was not wearing a personal flotation device and had “limited swimming abilities,” police reported.
The man’s wife had remained on shore and when he fell in, she attempted to get the attention of others to help him.
A nearby person came to help and used the man’s paddleboard to search the area, say Mounties.
Police say that the rescuer spotted the man underwater and was able to get him back to shore and start CPR.
The man was not paddleboarding at an area that was watched by lifeguards, say police.
The lifeguards that were just finishing their shifts, about a half of a kilometre away, came to help with CPR until first responders arrived on scene.
Despite efforts to save the man’s life, he was pronounced dead on scene.
