Woman hurt in fall from Thetis Lake cliff

A woman suffered serious injuries late Wednesday afternoon after slipping from the Sunnyside cliffs on the east side of Thetis Lake into the water, the fourth serious incident at the lake in the last seven days.

View Royal Fire Rescue and B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to the call at 4:43 p.m.

“On arrival, rescue crews located a 26-year-old woman who had attempted to jump from the cliffs, but lost her footing and fell, hitting the rock bluff head first, sending her into the lake unconscious,” said View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst in an email.

“If not for the action of friends and bystanders who held the woman in place in the water, she would have drowned.”

The woman suffered serious head and back injuries and multiple cuts and bruises, he said.

“Paramedics and firefighters performed a delicate rescue in getting her out of the water and secured before transporting her back to the main beach by boat.”

The woman was taken to Victoria General Hospital.

“We say it every year, and I have for the last 30 years — the cliffs are dangerous and the chances of serious injury or death can result with one misstep,” Hurst said.

First responders included one marine unit, one heavy rescue unit, one engine, 12 firefighters and five paramedics.

On June 27, two students from Japan nearly drowned near the cliffs, but were rescued by two girls on paddleboards and a man in a fishing float tube. On June 28, a brush fire was intentionally lit in at the cliffs and seven youths were detained. As well, a youth was injured during a dispute.

International students drowned at Thetis Lake in 1999, 2006 and 2013.

View Royal Mayor David Screech said Wednesday that, at the direction of his council, he will write to the Capital Regional District seeking reinstatement of lifeguards for Thetis Lake. He suggested a closer look at safety for Sunnyside cliffs.

The CRD has authority over the park. In 2003, it opted to forgo lifeguards, one of the issues being the greater likelihood of parents dropping off their children and leaving with a false sense of security, Screech said. There were also difficulties in recruiting qualified people.

That said, Screech said there should be a lifeguard during June, July and August at Thetis Lake, this year if possible, although he’s not hopeful the region will move that quickly to fund the position. “This is a minor budget amount,” he said.

He hopes to convince the parks committee that it’s needed, given the number of recent incidents.

As for Sunnyside cliffs, “it’s only a matter of time before somebody is going to be killed,” he said. “It’s a great hangout, a lot of young people spend the day there and jump off the cliffs.”

But authorities need to look at safety and accessibility in light of the incident on Wednesday, he said. “Maybe we need to have a safety audit.”