A family’s lakeside getaway in the summer of 1996 took a chilling turn when strange bubbles and a silver-green form broke the waves near a young swimmer. Was it Canada’s legendary Ogopogo, or something far stranger lurking beneath Lake Okanagan?

"In the summer of 1996, during a cross-country trip to Victoria, BC, my parents decided to camp by Lake Okanagan for two days before continuing our journey. I don’t remember the exact location on the lake, but considering how sunny and pleasant it was, there were maybe three other people on the sand with us.

My dad and I played catch with a football, tossing it out into the water and timing each other to see who could reach the ball and shore the fastest. This game went on for about fifteen minutes when it was my turn again.

After I threw the ball out, I took off after it. As I took a breath and scanned the waves for the ball, I suddenly noticed bubbles rushing up around me from below. This lasted a few seconds, and I saw the bubbles burst at the surface ahead of me. I reached for the ball and caught it in my hand when I noticed something strange; instead of the usual greenish waves, a green-silvery lump broke the surface ahead of me.

I panicked and felt a surge of fear. I almost dropped the ball when I saw the lump turn in the waves and start heading in my direction. By that point, the bubbles had returned, making it hard to swim. I eventually made it to shore, where my stepmother asked if I was okay because I seemed snappy and out of breath.

I’m not sure if that was Ogopogo, but whatever it was, it scared me quite a bit and drastically changed how I view swimming in freshwater lakes." U