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Missing paddle boarder recovered from Okanagan Lake ID'd

Visitor from Oregon last seen paddle boarding off Finch Road in Lake Country area.

The body of an Oregon man who went missing while paddleboarding near a friend’s home in Carr's Landing Monday night was pulled from Okanagan Lake Wednesday morning, Aug. 1.

Roland Walter Bachler, 73, of Boring, Oregon went paddle boarding by himself  on Monday, July 30.

The Kelowna RCMP received a report of a missing person from the 4000 block of Finch Road in Lake Country, on Tuesday July 31 at 9:30 p.m.

“Apparently, a 73-year-old man from Oregon had arrived in town the previous day to visit family,” said Kelowna RCMP Const. Kris Clark.

“At approximately 7:30 p.m. Monday night, the man took a paddle board out onto the lake but didn’t return.

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t noticed to be missing until the following night.

“By all accounts, the man was a strong swimmer, experienced paddle boarder and in apparent good physical health,” Clark said. “The initial searches were unsuccessful.”

The body and a paddleboard were discovered in the area of Finch Road at around  8:30 a.m. last Wednesday, and the RCMP were called in to assist.

The body was confirmed to be that of Bachler and his family has been notified.

The RCMP are assisting the BC Coroner Service with the investigation.