After five years of fighting fires, Jarret Fowler is turning his attention to the water this week. Fowler is training with the Lethbridge Fire Department’s water rescue team, and it’s been tougher than expected.
“Oh it’s way more difficult (than I thought),” Fowler said. “The river is so strong, it can take you by surprise… It can be dangerous in a very short period of time.”
Fowler was one of 20 firefighters training in surface and water rescues in the Oldman River on Thursday. He simply wants to continue helping those in need.
“It’s just another facet of the fire department that Lethbridge has, and we’re pretty lucky to have it,” Fowler said.
“I’ve always wanted to learn more ways to rescue people, so that’s why I wanted to try it out.”
The water rescue team says in the last five years, they’ve seen an increase in the number of people in the river and lakes in and around Lethbridge.
One recent trend the team is seeing, is kids swimming in storm ponds.
“Unless it’s an approved swimming area for either the lakes, or rivers, it’s best not to access the storm ponds,” co-leader of the water rescue team John Kesslar said. “The waterways are always a fun place to be, but use them responsibly. Use PFDs if you’re in boats, keep drinking to a minimum, or preferably none at all.”
For Fowler, after learning first-hand how challenging water rescue is, he hopes people will gain a better appreciation for what’s done.
“It takes the expertise of this team to be able to rescue those people,” Fowler said. “Without this team, Lethbridge, the river would be a dangerous place without having a river rescue team, that’s for sure.”