There have now been three drownings since 2000 in the lagoon at Harrison Hot Springs, the BC Coroners’ office says.

That’s far fewer than some village residents believe have occurred at the man-made lagoon, promoted as an alternative to the chilly waters of Harrison Lake.

The July 5 drowning of a 19-year-old Surrey man - and the agonizing six-day search for his body in the thick weeds of the lagoon - sparked a public debate over whether the village should hire a lifeguard - or fill the lagoon with sand and be done with it.

As if to highlight the urgency, a second swimmer nearly drowned in the lagoon July 20.

The unidentified man in his 30s was taken to hospital. Friends and family told paramedics on the scene that he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Devin McClelland-Begon’s drowning was also mysterious as he was described as a strong swimmer by his mother, Denice Magee.

She called the lagoon a “death trap” that should be closed before any more lives are lost.

The lagoon is not supervised by a lifeguard, but there are several signs warning visitors that they swim at their own risk. Because the lagoon is stagnant, health questions around human and animal waste in the water have also been raised.

A village council meeting last week was packed with people demanding answers.

But some came with solutions already in mind, including filling in the lagoon and making the entire beachfront more like Rendall Park, opening right out to the lake.

But Coun. Dave Kenyon said it’s too early to make any rash decisions.

“It’s got to be done right,” he said, after a coroner’s report is completed and after the village consults with legal and other advisors.

Terry Foster, spokesperson for the BC Coroner’s Office, said there was one drowning in the lagoon in 2006 and another in 2001. She did not look further back in the records because more information would have been required to separate lagoon drownings from drownings in Harrison Lake.

rfreeman@theprogress.com