Winnipeg, MB – At 2:57 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to reports of an individual in the Red River near the Fort Garry Bridge.
Once on scene, crews located the individual who was clinging to a sheet of ice, approximately 30 feet from shore. The WFPS Water Rescue team deployed a member on a specialized ice rescue sled which was anchored to shore. Once the firefighter on the sled reached the individual, they pulled the individual from the water and secured them on the sled. Members on shore then pulled the sled to safety. The WFPS drone was launched to maintain sight of both the firefighter and individual during the rescue.
The patient was assessed and treated by on-scene paramedics, and then transported to hospital in critical condition. At this time, it is not known why the individual came to be in the water, or how long they were there.
As temperatures cool and ice is forming, residents should use extreme caution around all Winnipeg waterways, including drainage ditches, culverts, streams, creeks, retention ponds, and rivers. Ice surfaces can be deceiving and unpredictable, especially when covered in snow. Ice may be thin and fragile despite not appearing so. Falling into ice-cold water can be deadly.
WFPS asks parents, guardians, and educators to take some time to speak to children of all ages about the dangers of playing on or near a body of water. This is especially important when the children are old enough to be left unsupervised and may be playing with friends in their neighbourhood. All frozen bodies of water within the city of Winnipeg should be considered unsafe for recreational use.
Residents are advised of the following water safety tips:
- All waterways should be considered hazardous at this time, including rivers, streams, retention ponds, and ditches.
- High and swift moving waters are extremely dangerous and cold and should be avoided as there is seen and unseen debris in the water.
- Stay away from the banks of rivers and waterways. Banks can be slippery and unstable and moving water can easily sweep someone away.
- Dog owners are reminded to keep their dogs on leash around waterways to prevent them from chasing geese or ducks into the water.
- Venturing on to the ice places you at risk, but also puts our responders at risk as they will be required to mount a rescue mission. Please keep yourself out of harm’s way!
- If you see someone who has gone into the water or through the ice, call 9-1-1 immediately and try to keep track of where they are. Do not go in after them. Wait for first responders.
Last year, WFPS responded to approximately 150 water rescue calls.
For more information, see river conditions and review these water safety tips.