Resident and dog rescued after falling through ice into Ottawa River

Published Jan 27, 2024 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 2 minute read

Ottawa Fire Services water rescue technicians demonstrate a water rescue on the Ottawa River for a video ice safety Photo by Ashley Fraser file photo /POSTMEDIA / FILE PHOTO

Ottawa Fire Services ice-rescue technicians saved a person and a dog that fell through the ice on the Ottawa River on Saturday morning.

According to first reports, the incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. just north of Terranova Drive and Champlain Street, near François Dupont Park in Orléans.

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OFS spokesperson Nick DeFazio noted after the rescue that “everyone did the right thing.”

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“The person who first witnessed the incident immediately called 911,” he said, noting that too often people attempting to rescue others in these situations get dragged into the freezing water themselves.

Then the witness approached the victim and coached him not to try to crawl out on his own, but to spread his arms and to find balance at the edge of the ice

Just this past week, Ottawa Fire Services released a number of well-received messages and video on social media with instructions and tips on rescuing people trapped in icy water.

“It’s like they watched the videos,” DeFazio said.

The OFS spokesperson said the dog was a coonhound, a large tracking breed. The dog apparently fell into the ice first, about 600 metres from shore, and the owner may have gone to help.

“We urge people not to try to rescue their pets, to wait for help, but it’s hard for the pet owners” to stay back, DeFazio said.

The victim was treated at the scene for hypothermia and taken to hospital. The dog did not appear seriously injured.

Ottawa police, who also attended the scene of the rescue, noted the incident could have been much more serious.

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“Although this was a positive outcome, the public is reminded to please be extremely cautious, as ice conditions can change rapidly,” a police statement said.

Temperatures in Ottawa are expected to remain around the freezing mark for the next few days, making ice conditions potentially weaker.

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