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
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.