Police have recovered the body of a 13-year-old girl who was missing after falling off a paddleboard into Cultus Lake near Chilliwack, B.C. Mounties say their underwater recovery team located the missing girl deceased in the lake shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday. The teenager had been missing since Saturday afternoon, when she reportedly suffered a medical emergency while floating on the paddleboard and fell into the water. Investigators say the girl was not wearing a life jacket. Police closed Cultus Lake’s Entrance Bay on Monday and asked the public to stay out of the area to avoid stirring up silt and reducing visibility while the underwater search was underway. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” Cpl. Carmen Kiener of the Chilliwack RCMP said in a statement Tuesday. “This is a heartbreaking outcome, and we are deeply sorry for their loss.” The death investigation has been turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service. Police are reminding the public to take safety precautions around the water, including wearing a flotation device and never swimming alone. At least 39 people have drowned in B.C. waters in 2026, according to statistics shared by the Lifesaving Society of B.C. and the Yukon. The province warned last month that the number of drownings since May 1 has risen 54 per cent from the same period last year.
