Edmonton police are urging people to be vigilant around the North Saskatchewan River after a woman in her 60s was swept away Saturday night and forced to cling to a bridge for approximately eight hours.
Sgt. Jerrid Maze said the woman, who lives in the Highlands area, decided to walk down to the river and wade in it to cool off from the heat.
“After a few minutes, the current and the undertow picked up,” he said. “It started to drag her east down the river and she ended up being taken all the way to Rundle Park.”
The woman ultimately clutched onto a bridge post in waist-high water overnight until she was discovered by a park employee around 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
Edmonton Fire and Rescue launched its river boat to rescue the woman, who was taken to the Royal Alexandria Hospital with an onset of hypothermia, Maze said.
He said she was not admitted but was warmed up before being released.
Maze said the situation could have gone a lot worse.
“She lives alone so no one knew she was missing. If the employee hadn’t found her, it could have gone a lot worse – she could have died.”
Edmontonians are being asked to use the river safely, to not use it alone and not use the river when it is dark.