Grand Rapids RCMP, with the assistance of emergency responders, pulled a male victim from the Saskatchewan River in a successful rescue attempt earlier this week.
On January 13, 2021, at approximately 9am, Grand Rapids RCMP responded to a call for assistance at the bridge spanning the Saskatchewan River at Grand Rapids, Manitoba.
Once at the scene, officers noticed an adult male being carried downstream in the river by the strong current. An officer then called out to the man to swim toward the ice edge.
Police say that the man was carried downstream approximately 50 feet until he was able to grab the ice edge and hang on.
With the assistance of ice rescue equipment, RCMP attempted to reach the man with a rope throw bag, but was unsuccessful. At this point, the man was beginning to lose consciousness and was slipping under the water. One of the responding officers, a trained Ice Rescue Technician, tied the rope from the throw bag around the man’s chest and used other RCMP officers and fellow emergency responders as anchors as he crawled out onto the ice.
RCMP report that the officer was able to grab hold of the man, and together, they were pulled off the ice to safety.
Both the officer and male victim were taken to the Grand Rapids Nursing station. The officer was not injured during this incident and the male victim had only minor injuries.
