Winnipeg, MB – At 4:10 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2022, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to reports of a male youth in the Red River near Bishop Grandin Boulevard and River Road. The 9-1-1 caller reported that the person began floating northward while sitting on a log.
The WFPS Water Rescue team launched their Zodiac boat and brought the youth safely to shore at 4:49 p.m.
Paramedics on-scene assessed and transported the patient to hospital in stable condition.
It is not known how long the individual was in the water or why.
WFPS responded to approximately 150 water rescue calls last year. WFPS reminds parents, guardians, and educators of the following water safety tips:
- Speak to children of all ages about the dangers of river banks, streams, drainage ditches, and retention ponds. This is especially important when the children are old enough to be left unsupervised and may be playing with friends in their neighbhourhood.
- 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 are unstable and the volume of 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
For more information, see these water safety tips and review current river conditions.