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SUV enters the water interrupting rowing practice at Nanaimo’s Long Lake
Crews found no one inside the partly submerged vehicle and RCMP opened an investigation after towing it from the lake, officials said.
Shortly before 6 a.m. on Friday, Nanaimo Fire Rescue responded to Long Lake after Nanaimo Rowing Club members discovered a small Nissan SUV partially submerged in the water near the boat launch.
Rowing coach Richard Parr noted the vehicle had a smashed passenger-side window and was nearly fully submerged. Members of the club, who had seen the car driving around the parking lot earlier, offered a 10-foot skiff to assist in the search.
Swimming about 50 feet to the vehicle, MacKenzie and crew members investigated the SUV. After smashing through the sunroof to gain entry and finding no occupants, responders used a tow truck to remove the car from the lake.
The RCMP is now investigating the incident to determine how the vehicle entered the water. Gary O Brien, a spokesperson for the force, confirmed authorities are currently checking the SUV's license plates.
This incident follows a similar occurrence in October 2025, when a pickup truck was recovered from the same boat launch area on Long Lake. In that previous event, one man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.