A man dies in Vernon Creek
John Manchester and Casey Richardson – Jul 29, 2022 / 9:10 pm | History: 377919
Photo: John Manchester
A man died in Vernon Creek Friday night at Vernon Paulson Park.
Paramedics performed CPR on the man for nearly half an hour in front of shocked onlookers who packed the park for Paulson’s Market Friday night.
The unconscious man was spotted floating in the creek about 100 yards upstream and was pulled from the water at around 8pm by two men who happened to be sitting on the grass nearby.
Scott Bishop and Randy Sipe jumped into the creek and pulled the man out before emergency crews took over.
Bishop said the man, believed to be a resident of the homeless encampment at the back of the park, drifted down the creek before he could jump in and retrieve him.
“It feels weird to see a body floating. I jumped right in. You can’t believe how strong the current was,” Bishop said.
The victim is said to be in his eighties and other camp residents said he did not drink or use drugs.
Scores of fire engines, ambulances and police cars streamed into the park as the market closed for the evening.
After attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful, paramedics covered the body with a blanket.
People who knew the man said they saw him sitting by the creek that afternoon.
It is not known if he entered the water to cool off as record heat grips the region.
Castanet has contacted the Vernon RCMP for more details and will update as more information becomes available.
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