New warnings at Decew Falls
Hikers out to enjoy the fall colours near Morningstar Mill are being told to stick to the trail.
There’s no excuses anymore for tumbling, slipping and sliding down the embankment to Decew Falls.
New signs posted by the city warn visitors to the St. Catharines attraction by Morningstar Mill to stay on the trail for their own safety.
“The signs are meant to be preventative in nature, just to make people aware there are some hazards to hiking in and around DeCew Falls,” said acting fire Chief Jeff McCormick.
“It’s the city being proactive in wanting to encourage the use of the trails, but to encourage the safe use of the trails so we don’t have to respond to emergency calls there.”
The fire department has seen its share of rescues at DeCew Falls in recent years as visitors leave the path at the top of the gorge and try to scale down a steep hill to the watering hole at the bottom. Some lose their footing and fall while others find themselves in trouble at the bottom and can’t climb back up. Still others get disoriented and don’t know where to go.
St. Catharines firefighters performed nine rescues at Decew Falls in 2015, a number which jumped to 12 in 2016. Those numbers are being attributed in part to a national magazine that named Decew one of Ontario’s best swimming holes two seasons ago and encouraged visitors to “scramble down the escarpment” to the bottom.
There have only been two rescues this year, which McCormick said may be due to people exploring other areas.
Some of the rescues have been more serious than others.
In July 2016, a 17-year-old was transported to Hamilton hospital by air ambulance with head injuries and multiple traumas after slipping in mud trying to climb out of the gorge. His 17-year-old female companion was taken to a local hospital with what was believed
to be a broken ankle.
This past August, a female youth was rope rescued out of the gorge after falling several metres and was also transported by Ornge air ambulance out of the region.
The new warning signs which now dot the trails were in the works early this year after the first high angle rescue.
“For your own safety, do not climb or hike down to Decew Falls,” says one sign. “Please remain on the marked trails.”
“Warning: Dangerous embankment,” says another.
“Part of it is educating and correcting the behaviour so that we don’t have to get to the rescue portion,” McCormick said. “The signs aren’t meant to discourage people from hiking.”
He said people should make sure they stay on the trails, wear proper footwear and clothing and hike during daylight hours. They should be prepared for something that could go wrong but also use common sense and avoid unnecessary risks.
Each time the fire department is called to Decew Falls for an emergency it must send a high-angle rescue team. That means 15 personnel and a platoon chief with the chief ’s vehicle, two pumper trucks, a ladder truck and a rescue truck to execute a safe operation.
Some rescues may be quick if the person is just disoriented and can be walked out of the falls area. Others are prolonged operations.
If fire crews are there for a significant period of time, that’s 16 personnel and five vehicles that aren’t available to provide coverage for any other emergency. The department then has to backfill and bring in other staff to protect the rest of the city.
The additional staffing costs were $3,380 in 2015 and $3,460 in 2016. The two incidents this year cost an additional $810.
“If we’re walking them out that’s going to be a quick rescue, versus having to set up equipment, rappel and harness somebody and bring them up safely,” McCormick said. “All that takes time and effort.”