Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to your Aug. 19 story Into the Deep. I am a long-time resident of Lynn Valley and have enjoyed the majestic beauty of Lynn Headwaters, Lynn Canyon and Lynn Creek. I appreciate the efforts by the District of North Vancouver parks staff in maintaining the park as a natural wilderness area for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Unfortunately, some people are blinded by nature's beauty and are unable to realize the peril they may be putting themselves in, which can be attested to by the several dozen souls who have either drowned or have died hiking in recent years, unprepared for the hazards of the immense wilderness area this park offers.
Our son Andrew, at age 26, drowned at Lynn Headwaters in late June 2008. It was the first hot summer weekend of that year, and the creek was swollen with runoff. Andrew was crossing the river with friends, when he slipped, hitting his head on a rock. He was pulled down the river by the strong current and ended up in a stopper hole a short distance away from where he fell. Four days later, he was found under a 12foot deep boulder, and his body was yanked out with grappling hooks. In his last moment of joy, he never dreamt that his life would come to an end in this way. Unless you are a parent or sibling of a child who died, you can hardly imagine the overwhelming grief that persists, day after day.
On the same day your Sunday Focus featured young parkgoers jumping into the waters of Lynn Canyon, two cliff jumpers died, one near Tofino the other near Whistler, leaving their families to cope with their loss.
Sadly, your story did very little to warn of the dangers of cliff jumping in the canyon, but rather glorified the heroic "daredevils" for their guts and brawn. Your article does not mention the steel fence put in place to discourage cliff jumping, nor does it allude to the number of cliff jumpers who have died senselessly in the canyon. The dangers your article falsely implies - "stub their toes on rocks or get slapped in the face by cedar branches" - are a gross understatement of the real perils these young risk-takers face when diving off cliffs.
Everyone visiting wilderness areas should exercise caution. In spite of nature's beauty and the euphoria experienced, nature is unforgiving.
George Koch North Vancouver
