Deepender Singh had swum almost every pool in the region. He went under at Goldstream Falls.

Deepender Singh and his friend Sandeep Saini had taken swimming lessons together and worked their way through nearly every public pool in Greater Victoria. "He was a faster swimmer than me," Saini said. On Monday, Singh went under the water at Goldstream Falls and did not resurface. Bystanders pulled him out and started life-saving measures until paramedics and Langford Fire Rescue arrived. He died after being taken to hospital.

Singh was 27. He came from Haryana to study at Camosun College, sent money home, and helped his two younger brothers immigrate. Both had just visited him in Victoria the week before he died. They flew back the day after they learned the news.

His death lands in a summer of them. Langford Fire Chief Chris Aubrey describes a "stark increase" in drownings across the province, and the numbers back him up. Aubrey's advice is unglamorous: check conditions even at a spot you know well, stay near shore if you're not a strong swimmer, and remember that waterfalls hide rocks. B.C. Emergency Health Services put it plainly last week: anyone can drown, including experienced swimmers.