Police in Smiths Falls, Ont., are hoping a video exhibiting the dramatic rescue of a teen who fell into the frigid Rideau River final week will immediate others to suppose twice earlier than venturing onto skinny ice.
The 14-year-old boy fell via whereas making an attempt to cross the river Friday afternoon. A harrowing video posted on Facebook by Smiths Falls police reveals a firefighter crossing the ice to save lots of the teenager, who was clinging on for his life, as anxious onlookers watched.
Police say the rescue was beneath manner inside seven minutes of the teenager’s pals calling 911.
“[He] was utterly submerged within the water,” stated Andrew Fleming, the firefighter who first reached the teenager. “The ice shelf was too brittle. It would not maintain our weight.”
A second rescuer entered to water to assist drag the boy to shore. He was out inside 11 minutes of falling via the ice, rescuers say, after which taken to hospital to be handled for hypothermia.
Fleming stated it was his first time rescuing somebody from ice, however added the rescue went in line with plan because of his intensive coaching.
Smiths Falls Fireplace Chief Rick Chesebrough stated the teenager was fortunate to flee together with his life.
“He had plenty of issues working in his favour,” Chesebrough stated, noting the teenager was with pals who rapidly known as 911. The hearth station was totally staffed and stocked with model new ice rescue tools, he added.
‘Ice is all the time altering’
On common, ice must be at the least 10 centimetres thick to assist the load of 1 individual. Even then, there isn’t any assure it is protected to face on, stated David Humphrys, an teacher with Boreal River Rescue, which teaches ice security and rescue programs.
“Ice is all the time altering,” he stated, including that ice that is thick in a single spot is probably not thick throughout a whole physique of water.
Humphrys stated in case you do end up trapped, do your finest to remain calm and name for assist. He stated it sometimes takes one minute to settle down, you then’ve obtained 10 minutes to self-rescue if assist is not there instantly.
Keep flat and elevate your self onto the ice within the path you got here from, then roll and crawl to security. If self-rescue is unsuccessful at that time, your muscle mass will likely be too drained to proceed attempting and you’ve got about an hour to attend for rescue.
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