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Safety around the fast-flowing South Saskatchewan River is a big concern for firefighters in Saskatoon following a pair of water rescues over the weekend.
The Gardiner Dam spillway on Lake Diefenbaker was opened for the second time this season on Thursday as a result of heavy rainfall in Alberta. According to the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, the release of water was expected to raise the water levels in the South Saskatchewan River by nearly a metre in Saskatoon, with flow rates well above average.
Read more:
- Body recovered from South Sask. River ‘tentatively identified’ as missing jet skier
- VIDEO: South Sask. River to rise as Gardiner Dam spillway opens
- Fast-flowing South Sask. River prompts Saskatoon rescues, warnings
Sean Thody, deputy chief of the Saskatoon Fire Department, said access to the public boat launch in Saskatoon has been restricted, and signs are in place warning residents to stay away from the water.
Thody said the river flows reached a peak of around 770 cubic meters per second on Monday, and he expects that rate to continue for a while longer. The Water Security Agency said typical outflows from the dam at this time of year are around 270 cubic metres per second.
“We just want to let all residents know that we strongly warn against recreational activities on the river,” Thody said, adding that pet owners should also use extra caution near the water.
“I know it’s going to be warm out this week, and playing fetch with your pets, and having them go for a swim, but the current is is rapid in the bottom of the river is unpredictable.”
The Saskatoon Fire Department was involved in two separate water rescues on the river over the weekend.
At around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, firefighters helped a person stranded on Yorath Island, just south of the city. Aided by an RCMP drone and lighting set up at the river’s edge, crews found the stranded person and brought them to shore, where they received medical attention.
Firefighters were called out again at around 1:15 p.m on Saturday afternoon to remove an unmanned pontoon boat that was spotted floating down the river.
Thody said many of those incidents stem from people underestimating the river and not fully understanding just how dangerous conditions can be.
“The weather’s gonna be nice, so enjoy the outside, (but) respect the dangers that are present,” Thody said.
On June 20, Adan Vargas Salvador, a 32-year-old Mexican man who was visiting the city, went over the weir on a jet ski and disappeared during a period when the river was flowing much more rapidly than usual. A body found on Thursday in the RM of Corman Park has been tentatively identified as Salvador.
