Saskatoon firefighters rescue 3 boaters stranded on a sand bar

Firefighters rescued three paddlers on the river south of Saskatoon.

They got a call at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday reporting three people were paddling down the river when a storm with high winds and lightning forced them on a sand bar.

Saskatoon Fire Department sent a rescue boat, two engines and a battalion chief to the location, but the rescue boat launched from the Broadway emergency boat launch got stuck on a sand bar on its way.

One of the stranded boaters was able to send a location pin to the battalion chief and a second rescue boat was sent to the Riverside golf course, where the three were located and rescued.

They were evaluated by Saskatoon Fire Department Primary Care Paramedics and did not require any medical treatment.

The rescue of the individuals took over three hours and required multiple fire department resources and staff.

by Global News