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An Ottawa Fire Service water rescue team safely brought two paddle boarders to shore Tuesday evening after they were stuck in the Deschênes rapids.
A resident called Ottawa fire at about 6:24 p.m. Tuesday to report seeing a kayaker going through the fast-moving water “yelling for help.”
The water rescue team arrived shortly after and launched their boat, quickly locating two two paddle boarders (not kayakers) holding on to the rear of their boards.
The boarders were “completely exhausted” and unable to make it to shore.
They told the rescuers that they spent 15 minutes trying to paddle out of the rapids but they ran out of energy.
Both of the boarders were wearing life jackets.
The paddlers and their equipment were loaded into the OFS boat and brought back to shore at 6:43 p.m.
There were no reported injuries.
The fire service gave credit to the victims for wearing their life jackets, “otherwise this outcome could have been much different.”
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