Stay off river, says fire department

Heavy rains upstream in Alberta causing water levels to rise as much as five feet

The Saskatoon Fire Department is recommending people stay off the South Saskatchewan River after responding to multiple water rescue calls in the past week.

The fire department said in a release this week the river is currently “unsafe” for recreational use due to increasing flow rates and rising water levels.

Water rescue units were dispatched to assist four females on two inflatable crafts who “were in distress and trapped against a concrete structure in the river” near the Gordie Howe Bridge and Queen Elizabeth Power Station on July 5.

None of them were wearing life jackets.

The previous day, a water rescue unit responded to emergency calls to assist a person being swept downriver towards the weir.

Despite the unsafe conditions, Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Rodger said the river is not closed off to the public.

“There are water craft and operators that are experienced enough that these water levels are fine to operate in,” he said, noting that devices like the inflatable crafts used by the four girls this weekend were “not robust enough to navigate this flow of water.”

A public advisory issued by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency earlier this month warned that the South Saskatchewan River would see increased water flow due to heavy rainfalls in Alberta. The advisory estimated a water level increase of around three to five feet upstream of Saskatoon.

In response to flooding caused by increasing water levels and flow on the river, the Fred Heal Canoe Launch announced that it is closed until Monday, July 13.

“The river is dangerous — I mean, it’s dangerous at all times — but certainly the risk is that much higher with the expanded flow that we’re seeing,” Rodger said.

Rodger said anyone on the river should wear personal flotation devices regardless of skill or experience.

The South Saskatchewan River is not the only river in the province experiencing dangerous conditions. Maidstone RCMP reported Tuesday that searchers had found

The river is dangerous — I mean, it’s dangerous at all times — but certainly the risk is that much higher with the expanded flow.

the body of an 18-year-old man who died after getting separated from his friends on Battle River south of Waseca during a July 4 storm.

Maidstone RCMP also noted that there have been “several calls for incidents on the rivers and lakes already this season.”

MATT SMITH Saskatoon firefighters have been called to multiple water rescues recently and the department is now urging people to stay off the river as it is currently unsafe for recreation.