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Rescuers’ teamwork saved infant’s life
A concentrated rescue effort between several emergency departments in the Columbia Valley resulted in a one-year-old child’s life being saved June 4 after a rafting accident in Dutch Creek, near Fairmont Hot Springs.
At 1:52 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment received an emergency call of a capsized raft involving a group of people on Dutch Creek.
The water flow at the time was known to be fast, reported detachment NCO S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac.
“On arrival it was determined that an adult female and two small children were in the river. The adult and one child were able to get to safety while a one-year-old child was swept downstream. Fortunately, the child was in a floatation device keeping the child’s face upright, which gave responders time to act,” he stated.
The rescue response was fast which included the following people: Chris Gent and Bram Rossman from Windermere Fire Department. Both swift water technicians located the child and were able to wade out into the fast flowing river and started CPR on an unresponsive one-year-old, Shehovac said.
“It was clear to both Chris and Bram that normal safety procedure to cross the flowing river was not an option. They proceeded without a safety line. Immediate CPR attention required both to stay on the other side of the river and unable to get to safety,” Shehovac outlined.
Columbia Valley Search and Rescue members were able to make immediate contact with Bighorn Helicopter pilot Greg Flowitt who was working in the area. He altered his route and was able to pick up further rescuers, Cst .Tim Harper and J.C. Morel.
Greg was able to respond to the scene and was able to land his helicopter close to Chris and Bram.
It was clear that the ground rescuers were in the process of doing CPR and continued their efforts and handed the child over to Cst. Harper.
While en route to the hospital CPR was maintained by Cst. Harper, J.C Morel and Neil Carey from Panorama Fire Department.
All three continued with assisting the child to breathe. The end result of this teamwork is the child was reported to be released from a Calgary hospital on June 9 in perfect health.
“It was made very clear from medical staff involved, that the actions of all rescuers, in their opinion, saved this child’s life,” Shehovac said.
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