SASKATOON, Sask. - A day after a woman and dog were reportedly seen in the South Saskatchewan River, rescue crews continue scouring the waters for any signs of them. Saturday morning, a sole rescue boat could be seen patrolling the area where the woman and dog were last seen. Following an aerial and dive search yesterday, crews have shifted to sonar equipment to expand their search, which is considered a recovery mission. The woman and dog were reportedly seen in the east side of the river that borders a Saskatoon dog park. Some people in the park today told CTV News that they were thinking twice about going near the water after hearing of the incident. “I am kind of shocked and saddened by this event,” Daniel Kuzub told CTV News. “I personally keep my dog close by me by the river because I have heard of this happening a few times before.” A nearby sign along the riverbank warns of the strong current and fluctuating water levels. It states there is a “high risk of drowning” in the stretch of the river where the search started. Madison Fairholm said it was “very scary” to hear about the search. “You definitely do not want to see it happen,” she told CTV News. “It makes me hesitate to go on the river.” Fairholm loves to kayak, but she says has not been on the river at all this summer. Extremely high river flows earlier in the season and warnings from officials to be cautious turned her away from the water. “Just because you never know what can happen,” she said. This is the second search for a person in the river this summer. In June, jet skier Adan Vargas Salvador, 32, went missing after reportedly going over the weir. Crews recovered his body two weeks later, several kilometres downstream outside of city limits. Saskatoon fire chief Doug Wegren advised everyone near the river to “always proceed with caution.” “The river flows are a lot less than they were two weeks prior, but river flows are always dangerous,” Wegren told reporters on Friday. “It is a fast-moving water.” On average, 485 people die from drowning in Canada each year, according to the most recent report from Lifesaving Society Canada. The report analyzed drownings between 2017 and 2021. It shows 27 per cent of fatal drownings took place in rivers. The territories recorded the highest rates of drowning deaths within the five-year period. Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest rate among the provinces, followed by Saskatchewan. A Saskatoon bylaw prohibits swimming in the river within city limits.
