Water and Ice Rescue
Ottawa waterways are normally calm. For four months of the year, however, they are frozen and subsequent winter run-off raises water levels by as much as 6 metres, turning our rivers into raging torrents for two to three weeks.
Our Ice and Water Rescue Team responds to calls anywhere in the City.
The five-person team has the latest in immersion-suit technology and uses a Res-Q-Alive sled where swift currents are suspected beneath the ice. The unit also has two Zodiac inflatable boats and towing vehicles.
Remember...
- Always keep pets and small children off rivers and ponds until you are certain that the ice is thick enough to support their weight.
- Never trust ice that has a flowing current running under it. The current thins spots in the ice which may not be detected--until it is too late.
