
A mixture of alcohol and bad judgment nearly cost the lives of three young adults early Sunday morning on Osoyoos Lake.
The three, who decided to jump off the Osoyoos city bridge about 1:43 am, included a pair of 20-somethings - a male and a female - from the Kelowna area, while the third, a female, was from Grand Forks.
Osoyoos RCMP officers responded with a police boat, chasing around the lake to pleas for help in the dark as the trio of swimmers were carried by the current under the bridge, far out into Osoyoos lake, close to an area on the lake known as Haynes Point.
With the assistance of visiting bystanders from shore, who paddled out into the darkness in an inflatable raft, the three were rescued.
In spite of the chilly water, the anxiety of the situation and the exhaustion of fighting to stay afloat - none were wearing personal flotation devices - all three survived with no injuries and were released by BC Ambulance personnel who had also responded to the situation.