BC Hydro is asking people to stay safe around John Horgan Dam after a group drove a speedboat into a section with potentially strong and unpredictable currents. The incident happened on July 16, according to an announcement from BC Hydro, when a boat filled with several people was driven into a restricted area near the dam and generating station on the Peace River. As outlined by the provincial power authority, the boat was near a spillway — a structure that releases water from a reservoir or dam — which can create turbulence and rapidly changing water conditions that may appear normal from the surface. Two people got into the water before returning to the boat and driving away, BC Hydro said, noting that local RCMP have since been notified. Bob Gammer, BC Hydro community relations manager, said no one was injured in the incident, but explained there could’ve been “severe consequences.” “Restricted areas around dams and generating stations exist for a reason. Water conditions can change quickly, and the risks are often not visible from the surface,” he said, in a statement. BC Hydro issued the reminder ahead of the B.C. Day long weekend, in anticipation of people taking advantage of summer weather and enjoying recreational water activities on the Nááchę Mege, formerly called the Site C Reservoir, as the newly formed body of water won’t be familiar to everyone just yet, and some areas are more dangerous than others. “As more people visit Nááchę Mege and other waterways this long weekend, we urge everyone to respect all safety signs, barriers and exclusion zones,” Gammer added. Anyone enjoying these waterways has been asked to take extra care around all hydroelectric infrastructure, and avoid restricted areas around dams, generating stations and spillways.
