SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Fire Department on Thursday, July 10, responded to a water rescue along the South Saskatchewan River near 3rd Avenue South. The incident was reported at 5:01 p.m.
The first arriving crews saw a civilian on a paddleboard assisting a person in distress in the water. The paddleboarder was already in the process of helping the distressed person toward the shore when SFD’s water rescue unit personnel reached the scene.
SFD crews, who regularly train in water rescue situations, threw a rope to the paddleboarder to secure the other person’s safety and facilitate their transport to shore. Both the paddleboarder and the person who had been in the water earlier were transferred to the SFD rescue boat.
SFD crews then transported both civilians to their designated boat launch, and the patient was turned over to waiting paramedics to assess his condition. The patient was then brought to the hospital for further assessment and treatment.
SFD turned over the scene to the Saskatoon Police Service for further investigation into what led to the water distress incident.
The SFD continues to remind all residents to exercise caution around open water and always wear proper safety equipment when participating in water-related activities, especially during summer.
