A quick acting Peachland man is being lauded a hero today after he sprung to the aid of a stranger struggling to keep his head above the waters of Okanagan Lake.

Yesterday afternoon, just after 1:30 p.m., West Kelowna RCMP were called to the 4000 block of Beach Avenue in Peachland to assist BC Emergency Health Services who were responding to the area for a report of a possible drowning incident on Okanagan Lake.

Photo credit: NowMedia file photo

Police say a man was out on the water, about 30 feet from the shoreline, when his kayak overturned.

“A Peachland resident was in the area at the time, unaware of the incident on the water when he heard a faint call for help,” states Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey of the Kelowna RCMP. “The man who is being considered a hero, spotted the kayaker struggling to stay above the water’s surface and plunged into the frigid waters of the lake to help.”

The passerby successfully pulled the kayaker to shore, saving his life.

The kayaker, a West Kelowna man in his 50s, was not wearing a life jacket at the time. He was assessed medically at the scene and later transported to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services for the exposure to the cold water.