A Kamloops man is renewing his call for urgent river safety upgrades after the recent drowning of an international student from Thompson Rivers University—an incident he says could have been prevented with simple, cost-effective precautions.

Robert Griffiths, a lifelong Kamloops resident and founder of the Thompson Rivers Water Safety Society, says the city must do more to address the growing number of tragic drownings in local waterways, especially as the region welcomes a growing international population unfamiliar with the risks.

“Since 2024, we’ve had at least four drownings in this city, often in the same locations,” Griffiths said in an interview. “These are not freak accidents. These are predictable, repeat tragedies—happening where we know the dangers, but do little to prevent them.”

Among the most recent was 27-year-old Jatin Garg, a TRU student from India who was swept away by the Thompson River on July 6 while trying to retrieve a volleyball near Overlander Park. Despite rescue efforts, his body was recovered nine days later near MacArthur Island.

The tragedy has shaken the university and local community. But for Griffiths, it also served as the final straw.

“We’re Not Doing Enough”

Griffiths’ personal involvement in a 2024 river rescue and his memories of previous drowning incidents compelled him to start the Water Safety Society. But efforts to collaborate with City of Kamloops officials and Kamloops Fire Rescue have hit repeated roadblocks.

“I’ve heard every excuse—‘it costs too much,’ ‘we might get sued if the equipment isn’t maintained,’ even that installing life rings would somehow encourage swimming,” Griffiths said. “None of those reasons hold water.”

City officials have acknowledged the dangers of swimming outside designated areas. Kamloops Fire Rescue has consistently warned residents of cold immersion, swift currents, debris, and limited visibility in the North and South Thompson Rivers. In fact, the only supervised swimming site is at Riverside Park, staffed by lifeguards between July 1 and mid-August.

But Griffiths argues that public warnings are not enough.

“Most of these drownings happen at sites where there are no warning signs, no rescue equipment, and no real deterrents to stop people from jumping in—especially visitors who don’t know the risks,” he said. “We don’t have to wait for another student to die to take basic steps.”

A Practical Plan

Griffiths’ proposed solution is straightforward: raise $10,000 to fund warning signage and install life rings at high-risk locations like Overlander Beach, Tournament Capital Ranch, and the area near the Kamloops Airport—sites where multiple drownings have occurred.

He’s launched a GoFundMe campaign and is applying for grants from the City of Kamloops, TNRD, and other organizations including the TRU Student Union and International Students Association. He believes public support will be strong, especially given the emotional impact of Garg’s death.

“Think about how much the city spent responding to this last drowning—two days of dive team operations, boats, ambulances, police, and search and rescue. That alone likely cost more than the entire safety plan I’m proposing,” he said. “Not to mention the cost of a young life lost and the emotional trauma for everyone involved.”

The Call for a Lifesaving Society Audit

Beyond installing equipment, Griffiths is calling on the City to accept an independent waterfront safety audit from the Lifesaving Society of B.C., Canada’s recognized authority on water safety. The Society has already conducted such audits for other B.C. municipalities and has formally offered to do the same for Kamloops.

“So far, the City has not responded,” Griffiths said. “If we truly believe we’re doing everything we can, then let’s prove it—get the experts in, and let them tell us what else we could be doing. It’s not a criticism, it’s a second opinion.”

The Lifesaving Society, which took over water safety responsibilities from the Red Cross, recently reported a decline in drowning deaths across B.C., yet confirmed that the majority of incidents still occur in natural settings like rivers, lakes, and creeks during the summer. The Interior Health region accounts for 34% of provincial drownings.

“Strong swimmers can drown too,” said Lenea Grace, Executive Director of the Lifesaving Society’s B.C. & Yukon branch, in a recent statement. “Many fatalities happen when people least expect to be in the water.”

A City at a Crossroads

Kamloops Fire Rescue continues to issue public reminders during hot weather, warning of river conditions and urging residents to swim only at Riverside Park under lifeguard supervision. But Griffiths believes official messaging isn’t enough to prevent more lives from being lost.

“This is a city that actively recruits international students to come live and study here,” he said. “We owe them the courtesy of at least warning them where it’s dangerous, and giving bystanders a tool to help if someone gets into trouble. These are the bare minimums.”

He’s also concerned that responses to the issue may be influenced by who the victims are.

“If this was the child of a politician or a prominent local family, I believe the reaction would be different,” he said. “But a life is a life, whether it’s a tourist, a student, or a lifelong Kamloops resident.”

Griffiths plans to continue his campaign until changes are made and is encouraging citizens to pressure city officials to take action.

How You Can Help

• Donate: Support river safety upgrades at the Thompson Rivers Water Safety Society GoFundMe

• Follow: Stay up to date on the Thompson Rivers Water Safety Society Facebook Page

• Advocate: Contact your local city councillor and ask them to support the Lifesaving Society audit

“We don’t need to wait for another tragedy to act. We just need to care enough to do the right thing,” Griffiths said.