Full Breakdown
Family Boaters Rescue Baby Bear Cub on Okanagan Lake
By Drooid · · How we work
How the Boaters Responded
While traveling between their Vernon lakehouse and Adventure Bay, Christina Zamniuk and her family spotted a small black bear cub struggling in the middle of Okanagan Lake. Zamniuk described the cub’s condition: its nose repeatedly sank, it was blowing bubbles, and it could only paddle with its front paws while its hind legs lagged behind. The family quickly fashioned a rope “noose,” looped it around the cub’s neck, and pulled the animal onto the boat’s rear platform. After an hour of warming the shivering cub on the boat, they followed guidance from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) and moved the bear as close to shore as possible, giving it a gentle push to reach land.
Guidance from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service
The COS confirmed it received a report of the swimming cub and instructed the boaters not to handle the animal further, advising them simply to place it on shore and release it. In a follow-up email, the service noted that no conflict reports or additional calls about an orphaned bear cub have been received, and that officers are continuing to monitor bear activity in the area.
Verbatim Quotes
- “His little nose was going under,” — Christina Zamniuk — Christina Zamniuk, Vernon lake-house resident
- “We were just like, wait a minute, that’s a little bear.” — Christina Zamniuk — Christina Zamniuk, Vernon lake-house resident
- “We took a rope and made a noose and we got close enough to him and we were able to put it around his neck and pull him around to the side of the boat to the back, and brought him onto the back platform,” — Christina Zamniuk — Christina Zamniuk, Vernon lake-house resident
Impact and Follow-up
Zamniuk expressed relief that the cub survived the ordeal and hoped its keen sense of smell would help it locate its mother. She also suggested that conservation officers might later check the shoreline for the bear’s whereabouts. The COS indicated it will keep an eye on local bear activity and respond if needed, but no further incidents have been reported.