A man was taken to hospital in serious condition after being rescued from the Rideau River.
Emergency crews responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a man in the water near Strathcona Park Wednesday evening.
Ottawa Fire says the man was rescued shortly after crews arrived on scene.
He was treated for hypothermia, and transported to hospital.
The Ottawa Police Service is reminding people to be careful around lakes and rivers in the region. The recent mild temperatures means it’s not safe to venture out onto the ice.
Ottawa Police is offering safety advice to keep out of danger:
- Ice is inherently dangerous at this time of year and is always unpredictable. Stay away from open bodies of water.
- Always supervise children playing outside who may wander or want to play near rivers, ponds, creeks or ditches etc. A child can drown in less than two inches of water.
- Less than 3 inches of ice thickness is a hazardous environment.
- Falling into water at this time of year can lead to hypothermia and death.
- Cold water temperatures at this time of year can prevent even strong swimmers from escaping once they've fallen through the ice.
- If snowmobiling, stay safe on the trails and away from water or thin ice. Over half of drownings related to snowmobiling occur after dark and consumption of alcohol and/or drugs continues to be a contributing factor in snowmobiling related drownings.
