In the nick of time
Couple, injured dog rescued from tides on Blomidon park beach
A couple and their dog were rescued after the rising tide left them stranded at Blomidon Provincial Park.
Canning and District Volunteer Fire Department deputy chief Jeff Skaling confirmed his department was called at 3:48 p.m. July 3 after the couple realized they were trapped and called 911.
The couple became stranded after struggling to carry their injured dog off the beach. The dog, described by Skaling as “very big,” soon proved too large to carry.
“They were unable to carry him back, and the tide was coming in,” said Skaling.
Canning firefighters responded to the call, bringing with them a 19-foot rescue boat, which was launched from Kingsport. Firefighters were assisted by crew from the New Minas Volunteer Fire Department, who brought another 16-foot rescue boat.
They found the stranded couple one kilometre northeast of the park’s picnic area and parking lot.
Responders arrived at the location just at as the Minas Basin waters reached high tide at 5:11 p.m. Skaling said paramedics had already arrived at the scene to attend to the couple.
Two members of the park’s staff also responded to the incident, along with RCMP officers.
Neither person was injured, and the dog’s injuries were determined to be non-serious.
Skaling confirmed all people at the scene were loaded into the two rescue boats, which left the beach around 5:30 p.m.
These types of rescues are not common, according to Skaling, who said reported incidents at the Blomidon park and the Cape Split hiking area don’t normally exceed six per year.
“Most years, we see around three calls per year reporting people stranded on this beach,” he said.
“Most people pay attention to the tides and read the signs, and know how to monitor the tides as a result.”