Photo: Chris Pearson

It’s been hot in the Okanagan for the past few weeks — so hot that some people have come up with unique ways to keep cool.

But most manage to keep their clothes on while beating the heat in public.

Not so for one elderly Kelowna man who was photographed operating his wheelchair on Springfield Avenue — completely in the nude.

“Returning to our Lower Mission home, we noticed this little gem. Heading down Springfield, crossing Dilworth, legs spread as wide as the smile on his face," Chris Pearson said.

He tells Castanet, at first, he thought the sight was amusing but upon further reflection changed his opinion.

“I actually burst out laughing when I saw him. My initial reaction wasn't that somebody's got to get that guy off the road.

“While you may look at his age ... and have a chuckle, we must also recognize that this is completely unacceptable.”

Pearson says at first he thought the age of the man made the act more excusable, but then he saw a mother walking with her three children.

“This guy is, you know, looking the way that he did, it really kind of turned my stomach," he said.

"When I looked through my rearview mirror, this guy had this weird smile on his face and was looking right at the people coming across the crosswalk. So there was an intent to what he was doing, which removed all of this innocent wackiness.”

The man can be seen sitting on a motorized wheelchair with an orange visibility flag and a Canadian flag flying from the back of the chair and a high-visibility vest draped over the back. A closer look reveals that he is not wearing shorts or underwear.

“I thought he's living the dream. This guy is just at an age where he's just going to do what he wants. The more I thought about it, and the more I thought about what harm can befall an individual because of this, I was like, that actually isn't cool," Pearson said.

Photo: Chris Pearson