An off-duty firefighter is being credited with rescuing a woman who fell into a river in Minden, Ont., on Thursday afternoon.
Haliburton Highlands OPP Staff. Sgt Natalie Majer says emergency crews responded to a 911 call around 1 p.m. from a retired police officer at the scene where a woman had fallen into the Gull River at the Minden Wild Water Preserve and Rapids and had been “swept” away in the current.
According to Majer, other witnesses said the woman had gone into the water accidentally.
“When crews arrived on scene, this was going to be a rescue attempt but we could not locate her,” Majer said.
However, Majer says responders were informed that an off-duty firefighter, who was kayaking at the time, followed the woman as she was carried downstream.
Majer says the woman managed to hang onto tree branches near the riverbank until the firefighter was able to reach her and bring her to shore at the mouth of the rapids.
Paramedics assessed the woman, and she was taken to hospital in Haliburton with minor injuries, OPP said Friday.
Majer says the outcome of the incident could have been much worse, noting the individual was not wearing a personal floatation device or a helmet.
“I implore you (visitors to the area) to ensure that you have the proper safety equipment to make your visit here — or wherever you visit in Ontario — a great experience,” she said.