The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
C.B. firefighter takes icy plunge
LINGAN — Twenty-four hours after venturing into the icy cold waters of Lingan Bay in nothing more than a T-shirt and jeans, Ashley Osborne is still a little chilled.
Osborne, who is a 10-year veteran of the Scotchtown Volunteer Fire Department, was one of the first responders on the scene Sunday after a call came in about an almost totally-submerged vehicle bobbing in the water beside the Lingan wharf.
The 40-year-old former emergency services dispatcher said he arrived at the wharf at about the same time as Cape Breton Regional Police Service constables Tony Crowe and Brian Barkhouse.
“When we got there the car was almost totally submerged but we could look in the back window and saw some stuff floating around,” recalled Osborne, who added he knew nothing of the circumstances except that someone had just reported that a vehicle was in the water.
“When there is the potential that somebody is in a car in the water then time is critical.”
It's at that point that Scotchtown Volunteer Fire Department chief Raymond Eksai picks up the story.
“Due to everything being unknown, he wanted to ascertain whether there was anyone in the vehicle or not, so he quickly discussed it with the two policers officers and they tied him off with a rope and (ice rescue) throw-bag and he went in and did a primary search of the vehicle,” explained Eksai, who would later help co-ordinate the vehicle recovery.
“He (Osborne) knew that the water rescue team was on its way from Glace Bay, but due to the amount of gear they had to bring with them he knew there would be a time delay in when they arrived so it was a decision that he made and I trusted his judgment.”
‘YOU REALLY GET COLD’
So, not knowing whether anyone was still in the car and not sure when the water rescue team would arrive, Osborne tied up and waded into the cold water.
“I knew I didn't have what I needed in terms of PPE (personal protective equipment), but desperate times call for desperate measures. And with the rope tied on me I knew I wasn't going to drift away — we couldn't just do nothing,” he said.
“The doors were locked and the windows were closed so I got a baton from one of the officers and broke the back window. Then I went into the car and I groped around the best I could for any kind of remains but fortunately, there was nothing.”
Osborne said he didn't know how long he was in the frigid water but added that paramedics later told him he
was in there for about 15 or 20 minutes.
“It was a nice day but it was very cold in the water. However, it's when you get out in the wind that you really get cold,” he said. “I felt a noticeable change in my breathing and my motor skills were affected. I couldn't even untie the knot on the rescue rope.”
Fortunately, Osborne's wife is a registered nurse. She made sure he was taken care of following his lengthy spell in December's chilly waters.
“She monitored me and made sure I was kept warm and that I was getting the calories I needed,” he said.
Following Osborne's selfless effort, members of four nearby volunteer fire departments (Scotchtown, New Waterford, Dominion and Glace Bay) took over the scene. The water rescue unit searched the area but found nothing as paramedics stood by. Then once a vehicle recovery plan was formulated, firefighters attached flotation buoys to the car before it was pulled about 30 metres to a ramp where a tow truck winched it ashore.
STOLEN CAR DUMPED
What Osborne didn't know at the time of his cold water
search was that the car, a 2008 Hyundai Accent, had been dumped in the water after being stolen from a Sydney River residence on Christmas Eve. The car belonged to a Grade 12 Breton Education Centre student who used the vehicle to get to and from the New Waterford secondary school. She also said there were a number of Christmas presents stowed in the trunk.
For his part, Cape Breton Regional Fire and Emergency Services chief Michael Seth lauded Osborne, and all of the volunteer firefighters across the municipality, for their dedication in helping to take care of their communities.
“They put in a lot of time and in doing so are drawn away from their families and their personal lives in order to fulfill the need for protection in their areas,” said Seth.
“Their families provide the real direct support – they keep their food warm and they keep the bed warm and they're always there to support them. We appreciate the efforts of all the volunteers. There are so many of them in the CBRM and sometimes they get overlooked, but they really do it all.”
There are 33 volunteer fire departments in the CBRM.