Firefighters make two Water Rescues within minutes of each other

Durring a routine river patrol this evening members of the Fire Departments Aquatics rescue team found two people in the Bow river clinging to the safety boom upstream of Harvie Passage. The two were quickly pulled to safety by the rescue team. One of the two, an adult female was not wearing a life jacket as she held on. The water is very cold and a people will loose their strength rapidly. In this case both were brought to shore uninjured. Had the boom not been in place the two would likely have gone over the falls within the passage. The outcome then could have been much different. Rafters are reminded to wear life jackets at all times and to leave the river up stream of Harvie Passage. The conditions of the passage are not safe at this time.

Within minutes of that rescue, Crews were called for a report of a rafter stranded on a bridge abutment at 10th Street NW. An adult had been thrown from his raft and had climbed out of the river to that location. Firefighters lowered a life jacket down to him from the bridge above as a dive team member swam out to aid the victim. The two were then picked off the bridge by the rescue boat. No injuries were reported.