Six rescued from Oldman River in deflated raft

Six boaters are lucky to be alive after a dramatic weekend rescue on Lethbridge’s Oldman River. The rescue became necessary after their inflatable raft deflated amid turbulent river conditions.

The Oldman River remained under a boating advisory throughout the weekend as the river continued flowing three times its typical flow rate. Boating, floating and swimming in the river has been discouraged

LFES crews responded to a 911 call on Sunday evening when a float became trapped on a weir on the Oldman River and deflated as a result. The occupants were stuck in recirculating waters for about 45 minutes.

LFES’ Water Rescue Team Lead, Charles Schoening, says the weir is marked off from floaters since it lies in a portage route. “The weir is dangerous at any time, but high water levels make the current faster, stronger and less predictable. The recirculating water around the structure can trap people and watercraft, making it extremely difficult to escape.”

Crews from four stations and two boats were deployed to the rescue and successfully retrieved the individuals without further incident or injuries.

LFES is stressing safety as river levels remain at 190 cubic metres per seconds. The individuals were recreating on an inflatable raft without any personal flotation devices, which is still considered potentially dangerous even when river levels normalize.

This is the second rescue LFES has conducted this summer since crews rescued three individuals back in Lune during similar conditions.