Life rings have been installed at Langford Lake, where a teen drowned last month, as well as at six other locations in the city, Langford announced on Friday.
The initiative comes after local business owner Ryan Oakley purchased five dock-edge life rings for installation following the drowning of 17-year-old Belmont Secondary student Dequan Keron McKay at Langford Lake last month.
Oakley said he received a call on Friday morning from the city saying installation of the equipment had been approved. He was able to deliver the life rings and see them installed by city crews by noon.
“I’m over the moon about it,” said the father of three, adding an outpouring of support from the public “lit the fire” for Langford to take water safety more seriously.
The city bought additional life rings from the B.C. and Yukon Lifesaving Society and has installed them at Scouts Point, Lake Park and Lake Point Park.
More life rings will be installed at Florence Lake, Glen Lake Beach Park and Glen Cove early next week, it said.
Oakley, who has made the rounds in local media for his initiative, said he’s not totally comfortable with the spotlight.
“But if this is what has to be done to actually evoke change, then you know, you can smear my mug around anywhere you want.”
In a statement, the City of Langford thanked Oakley and fiancée Brittany Loomis for the donation.
Mayor Scott Goodmanson, who was unavailable for interviews Friday, said in a statement that Langford council fully supports all initiatives promoting water safety and lifesaving efforts.
More people died of accidental drownings on Vancouver Island than in any other region in B.C. last year, a 10-year high of 32 incidents.
Island Health said that deaths are most likely to occur over the summer, in July, and on weekends.
On Friday, Island Health and the Lifesaving Society announced they will be sending out a regular water-safety outreach team this summer.
The team will visit eight capital region water bodies — Thetis Lake, Elk Lake, Langford Lake, Sooke Potholes, Matheson Lake, Willows Beach, Glen Lake and Durrance Lake — and be on hand at Sunday’s Saanich Strawberry Festival at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park to offer demonstrations and tips on how to prevent drowning and swimming injuries throughout the summer.
The team is expected to work five days a week and be posted at those locations on a rotating basis until Aug. 23.
