Canoeists assist in Assiniboine River rescue

Good Samaritans canoeing on the Assiniboine River helped fire crews rescue a person trapped in the water Monday night.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service deployed its water rescue team and a drone shortly before 7 p.m., after receiving reports that people needed help in the river near Augier Avenue, WFPS said in a news release Tuesday.

Crews located two people and used a throw ball and personal flotation devices to rescue one person. Bystanders in a canoe helped rescue the other person, WFPS said.

Paramedics assessed both people, but neither required hospitalization. It is unknown how the people came to be in the water, the release said.

WFPS urged the public to exercise caution around Winnipeg waterways, noting it responds to over 150 calls for help on water or ice annually. Anybody who enters the water or does activities near the shoreline should wear a life jacket and monitor water conditions.