The Penticton Fire Department rescued a group of individuals who had tied their tubes together while floating the channel, Tuesday afternoon (July 21).
Crews responded to the channel near Green Mountain Road, just after 2 p.m.
A group of seven tourists had run into the bridge abutment and become tangled.
Three of the individuals broke free from the group; however, the others became disoriented. Two individuals in the group went missing and some were believed to be trapped underwater.
A bridge abutment rescue had to be performed and others were picked up further down the channel by crews, and reunited.
Two thought to be trapped underwater, fortunately, were not in danger, but instead had simply broken free and floated down the channel without the other group noticing.
“We managed to find all their members, reunite them all and left them with RCMP,” said Penticton Fire Department Captain Steve Garrett.
No one was transported to hospital.
This is the second marine rescue in two days, following Monday’s rescue of a group of tubers who also became tangled around an abutment.
READ MORE: ‘It’s all preventable’ says Penticton Fire Department after another channel rescue
Authorities have warned the public not to tie their tubes together, and to always carry life jackets.
There have been several rescues from the channel so far this year.
READ MORE: Four people rescued after floating past Penticton’s Skaha Bridge
READ MORE: Family rescued after flipping tube on Penticton channel
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