4 Paddleboarders Fell In The Ottawa River & Were Rescued After Hitting Some Rapids
Fire services said they were hanging on the board.
Paddleboard: Right: Deschênes Rapids.
Four people were rescued after hitting some turbulent waters on Saturday. Ottawa Fire Services came to the aid of a group of people who fell from a paddleboard and were hanging on as they went through some rapids.
At 7:15 p.m. on June 25, Ottawa Fire Service responded to a call that four people had fallen at Britannia Beach on the Ottawa River. The paddleboarders has just gone through the Deschênes Rapids when the fire department arrived.
"When we arrived, they had gone through [the rapids] and [were] hanging onto the paddleboard for support," said Nicholas DeFazio, public information officer for Ottawa Fire Services. "We located them, got them in our rescue boats and brought them back safely to shore."
Aside from bumps and bruises, there were no injuries to the four people, who were wearing life jackets, according to DeFazio.
Another paddleboard incident unfolded near the Deschênes Rapids about an hour beforehand. Shortly after 6 p.m., Ottawa Fire Services said they responded to a paddleboarder in distress at the rapids, who had been picked up by a nearby boater. The paddleboarder was dropped off on shore on the Ontario side of the river.
\u201cBusy weekend on the water. As always have fun and be safe. Life jackets and impaired operation are among our biggest concerns. @OPSTrafficCM @DutyInspector @OttawaPolice\u201d— MDT Ottawa Police (@MDT Ottawa Police) 1656338253
The Ottawa Drowning Prevention Coalition warns that "swift water and rapids are present in various spots along the Ottawa River." The coalition said to check out the environment before paddling, to bring along safety equipment and wear a personal floatation device.
"The golden rule when it comes to water safety is wear your life jacket," said DeFazio. "People often think, 'Well, I'm a good swimmer, so I don't need to wear a life jacket.' But we've had many calls where people either hit something in the water or they get in a boating accident the same as they would in a car accident. And if you hit your head, I always say, [even] Michael Phelps can't swim if he's unconscious."
DeFazio added that in an emergency on the water, calling 911 from your own cell phone will help rescue teams find your location via GPS. And if you see someone in distress, make sure to keep an eye on them until fire or police services arrive on the scene.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.