You could be carried away in an instant: First responders warn of water safety

NORTH SHORE (NEWS 1130) – Don’t be fooled by pretty pictures on social media or by water that looks calm on the surface. Those are a couple of messages coming from first responders on the North Shore, as they go through training to rescue you if you end up in trouble in a waterway.

Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Duncan in the District of North Vancouver says swift water training will continue for another week or so.

Despite many reminders over the years about possible dangers, he expects this spring and summer to be busy, adding social media doesn’t always help.

“We live in a beautiful area of North America and people are hashtagging it and putting their best pictures out … But they never usually put the pictures when they’re being rescued or they get themselves in a precarious situation,” he said.

He says the best thing you can do is be prepared, know your fitness level, and not be fooled by seemingly safe water. “There’s lots of undercurrents, there’s debris in the water you can’t see, there’s obstructions like rocks and boulders.”

Asked how quickly people can be swept away in fast-moving water, Duncan said, “Immediately.”

Those undercurrents can put you in a bad situation immediately after you fall in.

“Oftentimes, I’ve seen slips — you hit your head and rendered yourself unconscious. Or something has happened that you can’t get out of it. You’re not going to beat the current.”

He says the pools in Lynn Canyon are popular spots, but they can be dangerous. “They can go over and they’ll go and jump. But unfortunately, there have been fatalities there.”

If your dog ends up in a dangerous area, don’t go after them — call 9-1-1 instead.

“A couple of times last year, pets led people down the wrong way … Their owner tries to retrieve them, and now they’re in trouble. The best thing to do is just call 9-1-1 and help us get you out of there and don’t get into any more trouble.”

 – With files from Sonia Aslam

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