Pinawa Fire And Rescue Service saves stranded group

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The Pinawa Fire and Rescue Service saved a group of people who were stranded in the community’s float channel over the weekend.

The fire department responded to the incident around 5 p.m. on Saturday after learning of the five adults in distress.

When crews arrived at the scene, they learned the five people—who didn’t know how to swim—ventured out onto the flat channel on inner tubes without any life jackets or paddles.

According to Fire Chief Mike Purtill, the group quickly ended up in swift waters and realized they were in trouble. Though they managed to get to shore, they were unsure how to navigate the cliffs at the shoreline and couldn’t get out of the water, prompting them to call 911.

Once at the float channel, the fire service managed to bring the group to safety.

No one was physically hurt during the incident, though the group spent about an hour in the water.

Following the rescue, Purtill urges those wanting to use the float channel to come prepared with a plan and proper safety equipment or hire one of the businesses that run the float channel operations.

“This could’ve really went bad quickly,” he said.

“It’s not swift water, but it’s fast-moving water, and if you’re a non-swimmer, it scares you.”