鈥淚njured in Lynn Canyon? 100% not the vibe.鈥�
That is one of the new signs the District of North Vancouver has installed in Lynn Canyon Park to discourage younger generations from cliff jumping.
Younger district staff members came up with the idea of incorporating lingo used by Gen Z and Gen Alpha to reinforce age-old warnings in the park where local rangers and firefighters have been responding to multiple calls for cliff jumpers in distress.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really trying to be strategic to target Gen Z鈥檚 and Gen Alphas to communicate with them in a way that resonates with them,鈥� said Mike Danks, fire chief for the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. 鈥淚 think that age group between 12 and 22, those are typically the people that we鈥檙e seeing getting injured there.鈥�
鈥淵our friends might cheer. First Responders won鈥檛鈥� and 鈥淪poiler Alert: Your viral jump ends in the hospital鈥� are two other signs placed in the park. Another reads 鈥淩eal ones keep their friends alive,鈥� all signing off with 鈥淐liff jumping can be deadly鈥� in a yellow text message shaped sign.
At least 40 people have died in the park over the last 50 years and countless more have needed rescues, the fire chief said.
Last summer a 21-year-old man died after going over the Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon. Fire crews at the time said the man had been under water for at least 20 minutes before being pulled to shore. Five days later, a man was rescued in the same area attempting to cliff jump while intoxicated. In August that year, a 17-year-old male from Windsor, Ont. died after falling from a cliff in the park.
Recently, North Vancouver firefighters rescued a man who dislocated his shoulder after jumping into the 90 Foot Pool in Lynn Canyon.
With the high number of visitors and calls, first responders are cautioning park-goers about the dangers of cliff jumping.
Unstable and slippery slopes, fluctuating water conditions, hidden hazards under the water and currents are some of the potentially deadly risks people can be exposed to, Danks said.
鈥淵ou have a lot of things working against you,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e immediately immersed into very cold water, which can cause you to gasp, cause you to inhale water, which restricts your breathing.鈥�
Danks speaks from personal experience. As he was making his way to jump from the cliffs as a 17-year-old, he slipped on wet rocks and sliced his hand on a large piece of glass. Years later, he still has a scar. He shares his story to show he's been there too and that "it's not worth it."
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing more isolating than being hurt and looking up from the canyon and seeing that there鈥檚 no way out for you, and that鈥檚 a really scary feeling,鈥� Danks said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a perspective that people don鈥檛 think about.鈥�
More than half a million people visit Lynn Canyon each year, said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak for North Vancouver RCMP in a post on X. One of the most dangerous forces they can encounter is pressure from friends to do something stupid.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e asking you, don鈥檛 peer pressure any of your friends into doing something dangerous that could cost them their life,鈥� Sahak said in the video.
The fire chief said park rangers are on site to educate visitors on how to enjoy the park safely and the district staffs up when there鈥檚 good weather. In the meantime, he hopeful the new signs will find their target audience.
"We're just trying to find a 'cringe' way to really get attention from these individuals, and we really hope this resonates with them," Danks said.
