Canadian Firefighter Rescued after Being Swept Away

June 7, 2020

A firefighter who was swept into the rushing water of the lower Niagara River on Saturday while attempting to rescue a male in distress was himself rescued by a marine unit downstream.

Source Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.

A man who became trapped on rocks in the Niagara Gorge is rescued by marine unit crews on June 6, 2020.

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO - A firefighter who was swept into the rushing water of the lower Niagara River on Saturday while attempting to rescue a male in distress was himself rescued by a marine unit downstream.

Niagara Parks Police and Niagara Regional Police were called at around 1 p.m. Saturday to a report of a male in distress in the waters near the vicinity of the Whirlpool.

Niagara Parks Police reported that, in the course of attempting to rescue the male, a firefighter used his quick release to come off of his rope and ended up being swept down the river himself.

The Niagara Falls Review newspaper in Canada reported that the firefighter was subsequently picked up downstream by the marine unit with the Niagara Regional Police. The paper also reported that the firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital for assessment.

The other male was pulled from the rock by a helicopter rescue team and taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, the Review reported.

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