Canoeist missing, presumed drowned, after falling into lake near Nanaimo, B.C.

Feb 28, 2017 | 9:43 AM

NANAIMO, B.C. — RCMP say dive teams were planning to search Westwood Lake in Nanaimo, B.C., looking for any sign of a missing man.

One witness saw the man tumble into the water from his overturned canoe late Monday afternoon, and an off-duty RCMP officer heard him shouting for help.

Const. Gary O’Brien says in a news release that the officer tried to swim out to the man, but he was unable to reach him before losing sight of him in the frigid water.

Rescuers reached the scene in less than seven minutes, but police say they found no sign of the unnamed victim.