Mother recalls harrowing Algonquin Park rescue during severe thunderstorm

A mom is speaking out after her and her son were rescued from Algonquin Park during a severe storm over the weekend. CTV’s Katie Griffin reports.

The mother of an Ottawa boy seriously injured when a tree fell on their tent in Algonquin Park on Saturday is praising first responders and crediting wilderness training courses she took for helping them get through until help arrived.

“The moment the rescuers arrived, they called out from the water and that sound was, I mean, that was a magical sound — them arriving to us,” said Alison Flynn.

Flynn and her 13-year-old son had been camping on an island on North Depot Lake. They had anticipated a storm but said it felt different when it rolled in.

“The wind really picked up, the tent was moving sideways,” Flynn recalled. “I had actually gotten up to hold up the side of the tent because things were starting to hit the side of the tent and then all of a sudden, the tree came down.”

Flynn had taken wilderness first aid and first responder training courses with Boreal River Rescue. She said her training kicked in immediately.

“I got him out from under the tree and just started assessing him right away. He was very briefly unconscious, but he woke up and started making jokes. And I thought ‘OK, step one, we are alright at this point,’” she said.

“It just kept cycling with the training, reassessing, doing what I could, making sure he was warm enough, as dry and comfortable as I could make him.”

Flynn was able to send an SOS signal from a GPS and satellite communication device she had with her.

It reached first responders who embarked on an exhausting 25-kilometre trek through fallen trees and brush using chainsaws to cut their way through. They then had to canoe 300 metres to reach the pair.

Flynn said first responders kept her updated throughout.

“I knew what they were doing, how fast they were responding to me, how quickly they assembled a team, how many different groups were involved and working together,” Flynn said. “In these conditions that they were working with, it is stunning that they managed to get to us so quickly.”

Flynn said being prepared with essentials like a headlamp and first aid kit was crucial.

“For us, a lot of it is ensuring that our participants leave the course with a good understanding of risk and good decision making,” said Michael Mechan, an instructor with Boreal River Rescue.

“As you can imagine, there’s lots of different things that can happen in the backcountry and medical situations we might encounter, so the hands-on nature in those scenarios we find really help prepare students for real life situations.”

After the storm cleared, the boy was taken out by float plane then flown by Ornge air ambulance to CHEO where he’s being treated for multiple fractures.

“The staff here has just been incredible,” Flynn said, also expressing thanks and appreciation for everyone involved in Saturday’s rescue, transport and care.

“It’s a huge thanks, I can’t even say thank you enough,” she said. “They had multiple levels of plans in case something didn’t work out. They already had other options ready… This was next level in terms of supporting us and I’m so thankful to them for what they were able to do.”

Flynn says her son is on the road to recovery.

“Given what happened, we didn’t think that this would even be a potential outcome but it looks like he’s going to heal really well and he’s in good spirits.”

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