Coyote Cruises still seeing Penticton Channel floaters tying tubes together, despite constant warnings from local authorities about safety concerns

Coyote Cruises has amped up its safety guidelines and training for the Okanagan channel this year, but despite multiples warnings from the fire department , they're still facing challenges trying to get floaters to stop tying their tubes together — a dangerous practice that can result in injury or drowning.

“It’s shocking that we still see that. We have signage, we tell them and yet people are still dangerously tying their tubes together,” Diana Stirling, partner with Coyote Cruises, said. 

Many tubers were spotted on the river Thursday with floaties tied together. Floaters said they felt safe enough to tie their groups together, despite the warnings.

But groups needing help or rescuing have not slowed down either, and according to Coyote Cruises, the number of people needing help remains pretty steady every day. 

The water has been flowing so quickly this year the team decided to make some changes. The organization shut down for nine days in early July, to retrain staff and analyze water safety to make sure every aspect was looked after.

“The City, PIB and Coyote cruises are taking it so seriously about what we need to do to ensure that we are COVID safe down there, educating people, and then water safe," Stirling explained.

Education starts right when the tubes are rented, ensuring all parties are informed before heading in, and adding additional signage throughout the channel. 

The biggest change was adding staff from Coyote Cruises who will throw out ropes to pull anybody in who's near the exit point at Skaha Lake and hasn't been able to make it to shore.

“When our staff throw that rope and they rescue people, it's like entertainment [for] the people waiting at the end,” Stirling said, adding one of her employees snagged three tubes together the other day, bringing in 12 people safely while everyone cheered. 

A couple volunteers have also joined the cause, bringing in their own jet skis to help bring back floaters who have gone under the bridge and onto the lake. 

“This time, the fire department doesn't need to be called,” Stirling said. “We’re rescuing people sooner with the ropes which is phenomenal."

Coyote Cruises expects the amount of people floating over the long weekend will increase by 50 per cent, even with the heat.