ELORA – The Centre Wellington fire department would rather have people call for an emergency that turns out to be nothing, than not call and have disaster ensue.
So deputy chief Jonathan Karn had only good things to say about a water rescue on July 25 that turned out not to be needed.
The original call came in around 3pm for a water rescue at the Elora Gorge, “but it was actually on the river downstream from the Fergus Legion, between the Legion and the Aboyne trussel bridge,” Karn said in an interview.
Karn said three people rented innertubes from an operator in the area and one of the tubes deflated leaving the user “stranded” on a rock island, Karn said.
Family on shore called 911 and the water rescue team responded.
“But they ended up being able to walk out,” Karn said.
The person was part of a group visiting the area from out of the country, so there was a language barrier to begin with, Karn said.
As well, “they didn’t know where they were; they didn’t know what to expect; they didn’t know if the water was deep or shallow,” he said.
“They messaged back and forth (with their party on the shore), so we had a good indication where they were located.”
Karn said the person was cold from the water but did not require medical attention.
He added the family members on shore were very appreciative of the water rescue team’s efforts.
“Don’t be afraid to call 911,” Karn said. “We would rather be there and not have to assist than there’s no call and things go badly.
“Err on the side of caution,” he continued. “That’s a good day for us.”
