Former lifeguard recounts daring rescue at Thetis lake
Rosa Kouri was planning for a relaxing day at the beach with her friends and family last weekend. What the former lifeguard didn’t expect was that by day’s end, she would become a hero.
“I didn’t even think,” she said. “I just jumped right in.”
Kouri was walking along the Thetis Lake trail when she heard someone screaming for help.
“Before I knew it, Rosa was sprinting down the hill,” said Kouri’s friend, Anna Lindsay-Baugh.
When she made it to the lake, Kouri saw three people bobbing in the water.
“It was a father and he was trying to hold his son and his wife up,” said Kouri.
She swam out to the trio and started pulling them towards shore.
“It’s messy with three people, so you kind of get pushed under, but I popped right back up and I got pretty close and there were people on shore shouting encouragement,” said Kouri.
“So I looked up at the people on shore and I said, ‘Help, I need help,’ and they very quickly formed a human chain.”
It’s a situation that has played out at Thetis Lake before.
View Royal Mayor David Screech says each summer brings its share of calls for first responders to the lake. But, he adds, this year things had been going exceptionally well.
“This is the first year on record that the fire department has not been called to Thetis Lake and I think that is a pretty significant milestone,” said Screech.
The mayor says safety at Thetis Lake comes with some personal responsibility. In addition to existing signage, he says the CRD has also been stepping up its safety measures.
“There’s park rangers there every day,” he said. “Often for a full shift throughout the day and I’ve seen that myself.”
The mayor said he hopes the rescued family will come forward to share their own story.
“Things can always be done better, so we need to review what happened and take it from there,” said Screech.
While Kouri says the young family escaped without injury, she knows the lake comes with its risks, and says she says she hopes her story will remind other swimmers to stay safe.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.