An Oliver man went missing Monday night and is believed to have drowned in Lake Osoyoos. RCMP said the 41-year-old Oliver man went missing after he went underwater while trying to rescue his dog and failed to resurface. According to RCMP, the missing man and his friend were stranded in the middle of Osoyoos Lake on the missing man’s surfboard while he was playing fetch with his dogs. After one of his dogs appeared to be in distress, the man swam to help it. “The man and dog became separated from the boat due to the wind and the friend saw the dog climb onto the man’s back, weighing him down,” said Sgt. Jason Bayda. Officers responded to a 911 call when he failed to resurface at 8:30 p.m. From there, first responders, citizens and friends of the missing searched until dark trying to find him. Police, assisted by the Osoyoos Fire Department, continued to investigate for several hours Tuesday. “Unfortunately the man has not yet been located and now a recovery mission has been launched,” Bayda said. The RCMP underwater recovery team is mobilizing and plans to arrive in Osoyoos early next week. “Tragically it appears the man lost his life saving his dog’s life,” Bayda said. “The Osoyoos RCMP would like to extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the missing person during this most difficult time.”
