River surfers spark rescue calls
Fans of the sport trying to prevent panicked reactions
Trevor Cunningham doesn't blame people for calling 911 in a panic after seeing someone in the Ottawa River, particularly in the middle of winter, but he hopes to educate people about the growing popularity of river surfing.
It's become a bit of an issue for river surfers as people on shore mistake the adventurers for people in distress, causing water rescue teams to be dispatched.
“I would say there has been an uptick in false alarm calls recently,” Cunningham, 38, said after surfing at Remic Rapids on Saturday.
It might be because more people are taking advantage of outdoor spaces along the river during the pandemic or because there are simply more people surfing in the river, he said.
“We get it. We know it's coming from a good place. We know people are genuinely concerned, and they're not really sure what they're looking at,” Cunningham said.
“But we are not really able to talk to everybody on both sides of the river before you swim out.”
Cunningham, president of River Surf Ottawa-Gatineau, says the surfers are enjoying their favourite activity, much like people who are jogging, biking or cross-country skiing on shore.
“We're just doing our hobby,” he said. “It just looks a bit funny from shore.”
Cunningham, who has had water rescue crews see if he needs help three times in his eight years of river surfing, is on a mission to educate the public about how the year-round sport makes safety a priority.
“We just ask people to look carefully and be aware. Just know there are surfers accessing the river intentionally,” he said.
Cunningham said conditions were “gorgeous” for river surfers on a mild, snowy Saturday in the National Capital Region.
Residents might have been itching to get outside during the Ontario-wide stay-at-home order. If people are exercising, they're allowed to be outside, taking advantage of recreational activities.
City rinks continue to operate with 25-person limits, and some of the refrigerated rinks using a booking system.
River surfing is a great outdoor activity during the pandemic because there's no need to be close to anyone, Cunningham said.
“For me, it's definitely my workout, my yoga and my meditation all in one,” he said.