The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) says a man was taken to hospital in critical condition on Thursday after his paddleboard collided with an abutment in the Bow River. The incident happened at the 85 Street N.W. bridge by Bowness Park just after 1 p.m. The fire department says crews arrived to find the victim face down in the water, attached to his paddleboard’s ankle leash. Firefighters took the victim to shore, where they performed CPR until paramedics arrived and transported him to hospital. “There was initial uncertainty about whether there was a second individual involved in the incident and CFD crews worked to confirm that all people had been accounted for,” said the fire department. The second person, the victim’s 11-year-old son, was discovered downriver and taken to shore by a bystander. The child wasn’t injured. Battalion Chief Bruce Barrs says the victim didn’t have a lifejacket on and was pulled under the water. “Standup paddleboards are increasingly popular on Calgary’s waterways and are trending within this year’s aquatic rescue incidents, including three paddleboarders rescued on the Bow River during June 2026,” said the fire department. “The Calgary Fire Department reminds Calgarians that paddleboard ankle leashes are not safe for use on moving water. “Paddleboard leash usage has resulted in at least two aquatic fatalities and other serious incidents in recent years.”
