A woman was rescued from the Thames River near Harris Park on Wednesday night.
Emergency crews were called to the river just after 11 p.m. Wednesday.
London Fire Department Platoon Chief Colin Shewell said crews deployed their water ice rescue team to help an individual who was on a bridge embankment across from Harris Park.
“The darkness is a challenge, which is always in the back of our minds when doing a rescue like this,” said Shewell, who says members of the London police were able to provide visuals of the woman, which helped immensely in the darkness.
“We were able to zero in on their location, and put a couple of firefighters in the water and get the job done quickly.”
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Shewell said the woman was responsive, and didn’t appear to have any serious injuries. EMS was at the scene to provide medical assistance.
The rescue comes hours after fire crews were doing water rescue training on Walker Pond earlier in the day. Shewell said those same firefighters played an integral role in Thursday night’s rescue.
“It was very timely. All the parties involved last night were actually training yesterday morning, and honing their skills,” Shewell said Thursday.
It was a perfect morning for C platoon Water Ice Rescue Team training today on Walker’s Pond. #ldnont @LPFFA pic.twitter.com/wYYndG11Mq
— London Fire Department (@LdnOntFire) March 3, 2021
Shewell says although this situation ended positively, it’s “another stark reminder” of how dangerous water can be this time of year.
“It can get fast flowing as the snow melts, and the footing isn’t always as solid as we think it is,” Shewell said.
He said it is unknown why the woman was in the river in the first place, but is thankful they were able to get her out safely.