A reminder from the Kamloops RCMP for people to be careful along the Thompson River as we approach the summer months.

The body of a 23-year-old TRU student was recovered on Saturday, a day after he was swept away near Chestnut

Staff Sgt. Mat van Laer says with the weather getting warmer, we are going to see stronger currents on the Thompson River.

“As the water level changes every year on a river like the Thompson River, the bottom of the river will change and so the shoreline will change from year to year,” he told Radio NL. “You will have areas that sometimes are very flat and then the next year, it’s flat but then it’s also dips really deep.”

van Laer says moving water in the Thompson River can be dangerous at all times of the year, but he understands it’s not uncommon for people to want to be in and around the river this time of year.

“It’s beautiful outside, it’s sunny and you may even be walking your pet and think that it’s relatively harmless because the water appears calm,” he says.

“What we don’t realize is even if it is calm, the water is still moving at a relatively good speed and you don’t need very much current for it to really take you away quite fast.”

van Laer recommends that people stick to supervised beach areas and wear the proper safety equipment if they want to be out near the river.

He notes that the river current can be a challenge for even the most experienced of swimmers.