WAINFLEET, Ont. – A 40-year-old Toronto man used his kite board Monday afternoon to help rescue a New York state woman from a rip current in Lake Erie.
Niagara Region police say the 37-year-old woman and her family were swimming off Augustine Beach south of Wainfleet, Ont., when they were swept away from shore.
Police say the strong currents are not uncommon in the area due to the unique layout of the beach and lake bed.
The woman’s family made it back to shore but she could not fight the current and continued to be pulled deeper into the lake.
Witnesses told police she was about 150 metres from shore when one of several kite boarders in the area noticed the woman’s husband frantically calling for help.
Police say the Toronto man approached the struggling woman and towed her to shore with one hand while holding onto his kite with the other.
The woman was taken to hospital as a precaution and is expected to make a full recovery. No names have been released.