Free diving incident hospitalizes Kelowna man

A 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., was pulled from the water by his girlfriend after he failed to surface from a free dive inOkanagan Lake over the weekend.

RCMP say the pair had been diving together on Sunday near apopular hiking spot known as Paul's Tomb, when the man went down for a dive on his own.

When he failed to surface after several minutes, his girlfriend jumped into the lake and located him about three metres beneath the surface.

Two men on paddle boards nearby helped get him to shore. Bystanders performed CPR until an air ambulance arrived.

The unidentified man remains in intensive care in Kelowna General Hospital, according to RCMP Cpl. Joe Duncan.

Free divers don't use SCUBA gear. Instead they use special techniques to hold their breath for extended periods of time while underwater.