By Troy Gillard

scary incident

Former Lacombe Generals player charged in B.C. child snatching incident

Apr 30, 2019 | 5:36 PM

KELOWNA — A man who allegedly grabbed a baby before stripping down and jumping into a B.C. lake over the weekend has been charged.

Harold Giffen Clarkson Nyren, 30, is facing charges of assault and willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

The man, also known as Giffen Nyren, is originally from Calgary and played in the Western Hockey League from 2006-10 with Moose Jaw, Calgary and Kamloops.

He played in 2018-19 with the Lacombe Generals in the Allan Cup Hockey West but did not finish the season with the club and did not play in the recent 2019 Allan Cup championship tournament.

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Online court documents show Nyren was due in Kelowna court Tuesday morning (April 30).

According to Kelowna RCMP, on April 28 just before 2:30 p.m. police converged on a local park for a report of an assault and a disturbance at the location.

Witnesses told police the man allegedly grabbed onto a small child being held by its mother.

After a struggle, the suspect allegedly jumped naked into Okanagan Lake and swam away before being apprehended.

The child was uninjured, police said, and was taken to hospital to be examined.

Lacombe Generals GM Jeff McInnis says Nyren has been dealing with depression.

“He isn’t in a good spot. That’s why he wasn’t able to finish the season with us,” McInnis shared, adding the Generals are willing to offer any support they can to Nyren.

“He’s a young man in need of help, so we’re going to try to help him.”

(With file from Ashley Legassic, CFJC Today)