Saskatoon police are praising a courageous officer for the heroic rescue of a teenage boy who was stuck in a storm drain due to swift rainwater last week. The intense situation was described as alarming for both the teen and emergency responders, according to Sean Thody, the deputy fire chief present at the scene. Thody expressed the toll such circumstances can take on individuals when realizing the potential risk involved.
Responding to a call near the 3700 block of Kinnear Avenue at around 8 p.m. CST on Aug. 14, officers discovered the young man trapped inside the storm drain, wedged against the grate bars by the rushing water’s force. Thody explained the physical impossibility of resisting the strong water flow in such a scenario.
The initial officer on-site entered the drain and held the boy’s head above water until the fire department arrived to coordinate the rescue operation. Describing the rescue as controlled chaos, Thody mentioned that crews utilized spreaders and saws to create enough space for the teenager to pass through, after dismantling parts of the grate.
The entire rescue effort lasted nearly two hours before the teen was safely transported to the hospital. The police commended the unnamed officer for showing exceptional bravery during the potentially life-threatening situation.
City officials revealed that four teenage boys accessed the stormwater system through an outfall, with three managing to escape. Unfortunately, one of them was carried towards a covered outfall grate by the rising water and got trapped. Prior to the arrival of emergency responders, the other teens assisted in shielding their friend from the water, allowing him to breathe.
Following the incident, city authorities issued a warning for residents to refrain from entering city infrastructure like sewers, bridges, or electrical substations, emphasizing that only authorized personnel should access these areas due to their high risk and potential dangers. The city advises residents to report any compromised or hazardous infrastructure to the appropriate authorities for inspection and maintenance.
