4 Paddle Boarders Fell In The Ottawa River & Were Rescued After Hitting Some Rapids
Fire services said they were hanging on the board.
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 paddle board and were hanging on as they went through some rapids.
"When we arrived they had gone through and [were] hanging onto the paddle board for support," said Nicholas DeFazio, public information officer for Ottawa Fire Service. "We located them, got them in our rescue boats, and brought them back safely to shore."
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 paddle boarders has just gone through the Deschênes Rapids when the fire department arrived.
Aside from bumps and bruises, there were no injuries to the four people who were wearing life jackets.
Another paddle board incident unfolded near the Deschênes Rapids about an hour beforehand. Shortly after 6 p.m., Ottawa Fire Services said they picked up another paddle boarder by boat near the rapids. The paddle boarder was dropped off on shore on the Ontario side of the river.
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 where 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, when I'm talking to my own kids, I say, Michael Phelps can't swim if he's unconscious, right."
DeFazio added that calling 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.