'We've had fatalities': First responders ask people not to cliff jump in Lynn Canyon - Action News
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British Columbia

'We've had fatalities': First responders ask people not to cliff jump in Lynn Canyon

Officials in North Vancouver are reminding visitors to Lynn Canyon that cliff jumping has a deadly history there, and people should not skirt around the warning signs to test their fate.

About 20 people have died in Lynn Canyon in the past 25 years, often in cliff-jumping incidents

Teenagers jump into the water at Lynn Canyon Park.
Teenagers jump from cliffs accessed beyond a fence at Lynn Valley Canyon in North Vancouver. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

"Once you come up from the water and you know you're alive, it's something else."

That's how one 15-year-old boydescribedthe thrill of cliff jumping shortly after plummeting more than 12 metres into the cool water of North Vancouver's Lynn Canyon.

"It's a bit of a high," he said.

The CBC has removed the boy's name from the story because of his age.

Many thrill-seekers are flocking to the dangerous canyon to cool off in the heat and get an adrenaline rush from cliff jumping.

Those who chooseto test their fate in the deadly canyon needto skirt around signs forbidding cliff jumping and warning of the many fatalities that have taken place there.

Anyonejumping off the rocks hasto either climb over a fence lining the precipice, or crawl under it.

"It's definitely a dangerous sport and a dangerous thing to do. I know the risks of it and I don't want to take it too far and get myself injured and not be able to do things for the rest of my life," the 15-year-old said after his jumps.

A teenager crawls under a fence at Lynn Canyon. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

But officials are reminding people to stay off the cliffs, and stick to the calm, inviting swimming holes in the area if they want to cool off with a dip.

"The reality is we've had fatalities in the waters here," said David Dales, assistant chief of operations with North Vancouver District Fire Department.

Firefighters regularly get called to the canyon for cliff rescues, which are among the riskiest rescues the crews have to undertake, even with dedicated training.

A wooden bridge with trees on either side.
Signs highlight the deadly history of the area. One sign reports 32 deaths in Lynn Canyon between 1985 and 2016, along with many more injuries. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)

"All of the calls here are very dramatic, because the environment is very dangerous," said Dales. "You're not only putting yourself at risk, but you're also putting the other first responders, like the district firefighters and the rangers at risk as well."

Dales said about 20 people have died in the canyon in the past 25 years.

The most recent fatality was in 2017 when a 16-year-old visiting from Pennsylvania drowned in the water near Twin Falls. In 2016, Cole Marsh, 17, from Port Coquitlam, died in the canyon near the suspension bridge.

According to Dales, at least 500,000 visitors pass through the park in a normal year, and enforcing any kind of rule against the dangerous activity would be nearly impossible.

"Under existing policies and bylaws, cliff jumping is not an illegal activity, butit's highly risky and we try to educate the public to avoid it at all costs," he said.

"Stay where it's safe there's beautiful pools here," he said."Don't cliff jump."

Dales said the signs, fencing and messaging from park rangers trying to dissuade people from cliff jumping are all part of the educational approach.

A ranger, who declined to be interviewed, said the only infraction that would be associated with cliff jumping would be disobeying posted signs, but even enforcing that would be impossible in the busy park.


Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker

Clarifications

  • A previous version of this story contained the name and photo of one of the jumpers at Lynn Canyon. The story has been updated to remove those identifying details because of his age.
    Jul 29, 2020 4:15 PM PT