Police issue nearly $600 in fines at Cultus Lake after boater enters swim zone, dislodges buoy

CULTUS LAKE – RCMP members intervened in two marine safety incidents at Cultus Lake this past week, one of which resulted in fines of several hundreds of dollars after a boating operator entered a swim zone at Main Beach and dislodged a buoy.

Upper Fraser Valley RCMP spokesperson Corporal Carmen Kiener says a boat entered the designated swim zone at Main Beach, severing the rope that clearly delineates the swimming area and dislodging a buoy.

Police successfully identified the person driving the boat and issued a $300 violation ticket for operating a motorized vessel within a swim zone.

The operator was also issued a $288 violation ticket for failing to possess the required boating licence.

Additional safety equipment deficiencies were observed by police, and the operator was provided with education regarding boating safety requirements.

In a separate but related incident involving marine safety, Corporal Kiener says officers observed two jet skis riding in a dangerous manner near the Jade Bay boat launch at Cultus Lake.

The jet ski users were reportedly stunting within a designated no-wake zone, creating safety concerns for other boaters and water users.

Neither operator was able to produce the required registration documents.

Both were told to leave the water, and both complied with police instructions.