For Barry MacRury, Lynn Creek in North Vancouver still evokes memories of his fear of being in deep water.
On a hot summer day in August 1964, MacRury — who was 14 years old then — decided to finally take part in the “daredevil thing” that he and his friend had wanted to do for a while: cliff jumping.
The landing nearly killed them.
Despite being a strong swimmer, the then-Vancouver resident said the creek was so cold and fast-moving it came as a shock to the system. They were quickly swept away and nearly drowned.
“That water is like liquid ice,” he said. “You don’t realize how cold it is until it hits you.”
After a few minutes, he said he was able to grab hold of and claw his way onto a big boulder in the middle of the creek before being rescued. His friend was more “beaten up” by all the rocks but also survived.
The near-death experience scarred MacRury so badly that for the next four years, he could only stay in the shallow end of swimming pools and avoided big bodies of water altogether.
With warm weather coming up, emergency officials are cautioning people against cliff diving. The warning follows the death of a young man who had jumped into Lynn Canyon this summer. Jon Hernandez made the trip to the North Vancouver park, where thrill seekers continue taking to the cliffs.
Nearly 60 years later, MacRury said he is sharing his story as a cautionary tale.
His warning comes amidst an effort by the North Vancouver RCMP and the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) that cautions visitors to Lynn Canyon Park, which receives over half a million annually, against the popular pastime.
“We’ve obviously had way too many tragedies,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak, a media relations officer with North Vancouver RCMP.
Most recently, a man in his 20s died in early July after cliff jumping at Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon. There have also been deaths due to confirmed or suspected cliff-jumping accidents in 2020 and 2016.
Police said there have been more than 40 deaths in the park over the last 50 years. The district’s Fire Rescue Services said it responds to “countless rescues” each year.
This summer, Sahak said police and the district’s park rangers are increasing patrols at Lynn Canyon. He added that alcohol consumption is not allowed in the area.
“It’s a beautiful park, so we’re not telling people not to go there, ” he said.
“We’re telling people to know about the dangers and the dangerous cliffs there. It’s very slippery. It’s very cold water, even during the summer season.”
MacRury also warned that the dangers of cliff jumping aren’t just isolated to Lynn Canyon and that visitors to other areas in B.C. should also take care.
He is no longer afraid of being in the water. But he said it took him joining the U.S. Navy — where he had to sit in the deep end of a swimming pool with a scuba tank and a weighted bell for weeks — to get over the fear.
“It’s pretty easy to see how very quickly you could develop a fear of the water [and] get in serious trouble,” MacRury said.
“That experience [at Lynn Creek] really taught me a lesson about my own mortality, that you really, really need to be careful.”