Following a dangerous incident at Thetis Lake over the weekend, View Royal's Mayor thinks more needs to be done to enforce bylaws, and promote public safety.
On Sunday, May 19, a 29 year old woman was reportedly pushed off a 12 metre (40 foot) cliff. In the area of the incident were three unknown women who were drinking alcohol. They are described as Caucasian, between 20 and 30 years old, and wearing sunglasses and bathing suits. Two have brown hair, and the other is blonde.
The victim was able to swim to shore, where she was helped by an unknown man. She was treated for injuries, including bruises across her entire body.
David Screech, mayor of View Royal, says this pushing incident is a one of a kind, but it does shine a light on the bigger issue of alcohol consumption in the park.
"That's been going for so many years, of groups of people going to the cliffs and drinking. We need to stop it. We need to, collectively with the RCMP and with CRD Parks, figure out how on earth we make it so that there are penalties for that, and that we're going to follow up on them."
Screech says there hasn't been much in the way of recent safety improvements around the park, specifically the cliffs, but over the last year, the CRD has ramped up bylaw enforcement.
"The CRD did put in an extra $100,000 into the budget for increased bylaw enforcement in all the parks, but specifically in Thetis, to try and deal with drinking issues, and also just as public awareness. To go and talk with people and say 'the cliffs are dangerous' and 'there's been multiple accidents here,' etcetera etcetera."
Screech says that while education campaigns are good, he would also like to see lifeguards at the lake, especially during the busy summer months. He adds that cliff jumping should be prohibited, with signs posted to deter people, but more enforcement needs to be taken to stop people in the first place, adding that other measures, like barricading off the cliffs, aren't feasible, and people would find their way around them anyway.
Meanwhile, the RCMP are continuing their investigation into the pushing incident, and ask any witnesses, as well as the three women, to come forward and contact them at 250-474-2264, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.