A 62-year-old man from Ponoka, Alberta, drowned in Lions Centennial Park Pond on the evening of July 16, 2026, the RCMP has confirmed. The tragedy happened just days before the start of National Drowning Prevention Week.
Police, fire, and EMS crews rushed to the pond, also known as Centennial Pond, after a 911 call came in around 9:50 p.m. The caller reported a man in the middle of the pond calling for help.
The pond, a community fishing spot that is stocked with trout every year, is not meant for swimming. The Town of Ponoka has posted “No Swimming” signs around it and provides a dock only for fishing.
Firefighters in rescue suits searched the water right away but could not find the man. A boat with sonar equipment was also used, but the search was called off at 1:30 a.m. on July 17.
“It’s very muddy on the bottom. I want to say it’s about 15 feet deep in the centre,” said Ponoka County East District Fire Chief Rob Johnson, explaining the tough conditions crews faced. Johnson noted this was the first drowning he had seen at the pond in his 17 years with the fire service.
An RCMP rescue diving team from Millet returned to the pond at 7:30 a.m. that morning and, with specialized equipment, was able to recover the man’s body.
The RCMP says the death is not being treated as suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing.
The drowning occurred as water safety groups prepare for National Drowning Prevention Week, which runs from July 19 to 25 this year and includes World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25. According to the Lifesaving Society, more than 400 Canadians die every year in water-related incidents that could have been prevented. In Alberta, there were 13 fatal drownings and 9 non-fatal drowning incidents reported in 2025.
