RCMP say Alberta teen dead after Jet Ski collision on Skaha Lake in B.C. Interior

Police in British Columbia say one teen is dead after a Jet Ski collision on Skaha Lake in the Okanagan city of Penticton.

RCMP say four youths were injured when two Jet Ski watercraft collided Friday evening in the middle of the lake.

Police say all four youths were taken to the Skaha Marina on a boat where they were met by a pair of off-duty doctors and emergency health services personnel.

RCMP say they were taken to a local hospital where one of them — a 14-year-old girl from Alberta — died of her injuries.

In a statement Saturday, police say the other three youths were treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and have since been released.

Police say they are now investigating the "tragic" incident, but don't believe criminality or alcohol were involved.

"The family is being supported by RCMP Victim Services and arrangements are being made to assist them in returning to Alberta," reads the statement.

The incident on Skaha Lake comes after numerous drownings across B.C. in July, with swimmers also reporting near-misses with yachts on Vancouver beaches.

It's prompted a call for more safety education for those around lakes, beaches and water bodies — with officials advising those going out on the water to be in a place with lifeguards present.

The Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon says there have been 23 drowning deaths across the province and territory so far this year.

Of those deaths, the society said just over 35 per cent involved boating. Over half of those boating deaths involved powerboats.