Three kin drown at waterfall

Three people died while swimming near the bottom of Crescent Falls in west-central Alberta Tuesday night.

Rocky Mountain House RCMP, Clearwater Regional Fire Services, and Rocky Mountain House Search and Rescue were called to the scene on a rescue request at 8:02 p.m., a news release said Wednesday.

Once on scene, police learned three adults from the same family had been swimming at the bottom of the waterfall when one of them got swept under. The other two tried to rescue the person and they too got pulled under. Three children, aged 10, 6 and 3 who were with the adults, yelled for help.

Other people in the area helped retrieve two of the swimmers and tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate them. Emergency crews found the body of the third person Wednesday afternoon.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by and involved in this tragic incident,” said Cpl Ryan Hack. “We also offer our thanks to the citizens, and partner agencies, who immediately jumped into action to provide assistance in the face of these powerful falls.”

Police said the children were taken to other family members.

The province has seen a series of such incidents in recent weeks.

Strathmore RCMP found the body of a Calgary man on Monday after he went swimming in the Bow River the day before. Cochrane RCMP responded to reports of a youth who went missing on Aug. 8 while swimming with friends near the Seebe Dam. On Aug. 7, Thorsby RCMP responded to reports of a drowning at Pigeon Lake. A woman and a man were found along the shoreline of Silver Beach near Milhurst Bay.