Toronto Police Rescued A Woman From An Icy River Using GPS Coordinates (CORRECTION)
They identified her location from a photo sent to a friend.
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Toronto Police officers were able to locate and rescue a woman from a freezing river in Scarborough on Wednesday night.
On a cold February 2 at 8 p.m., the Toronto Police Service said they responded to an urgent call about a possible suicide attempt in the Glen Rouge Campground area.
According to a TPS statement, a friend called 911 out of concern for the woman and helped officers locate her whereabouts by using the GPS coordinates on a photo that was sent to them.
“Information was received that the person may have gone into the water,” TPS told Narcity in an email. “Officers responded and went onto the ice and into the water, risking their life to pull the woman to safety.”
The woman was pulled out of the freezing water and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
According to TPS, the officer who went into the water was treated by medics and returned to work.
*Editor's note: An earlier version of this article included a comment from TPS on February 2, stating that officers had used the “What 3 Words” app to locate the woman. However, TPS issued a correction on February 3, which said the “What 3 Word app was not utilized during this rescue” and that officers used GPS coordinates from a photo the woman sent to a friend who called the police.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harming themselves, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Crisis Services Canada helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.