Melanie Vanderbeken died helping to save Cedric J. L. Vanderbeken from drowning, Whistler, British Columbia, August 10, 1996. Cedric, 11, and his sister, Melanie, 14, student, were on an outing at Green Lake near the mouth of Fitzsimmons Creek. Cedric waded into the lake and was carried into deeper water by the creek’s strong current. Calling for help, he struggled to stay afloat in the frigid water of the glacier-fed lake. Melanie, who was nearby, immediately went to Cedric and, grasping him, supported him. They were carried farther from the bank. Members of another party that was nearby responded to the scene; they entered the water and rescued Cedric but could not find Melanie. Police divers arrived shortly and searched for Melanie, whose body was located three days later. She had drowned.
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