Ten people had to be rescued from a lake west of Calgary Saturday night, and half of them were taken to hospital after their boat began to sink.
RCMP, Cochrane Fire Department and five ambulances were called out to Ghost Lake, located about 20 kilometres west of Cochrane, at around 9:45 p.m.
When the first Mountie arrived at the lake, the RCMP’s boat was still en route, so a Good Samaritan with their own boat offered to help. The officer jumped on board and together they found the boat that was sinking.
The ten people who had been aboard the boat, varying between the ages of one and 53, were pulled from the cold water with the help of firefighters, police and EMS.
After being rescued, a 15-year-old girl became unresponsive and the RCMP member performed CPR to revive her. All ten boaters were taken ashore and treated.
According to EMS, a total of five patients were taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital, suffering from hypothermia. The patients hospitalized include an infant, a toddler, an 8-year-old, a teen and one adult. Five other people were assessed at the scene.
Calgary EMS estimates the group was in the water for over an hour.
The Cochrane RCMP are thanking the Good Samaritan for their assistance and use of their boat. “Without their assistance, the RCMP member would not have reached those in distress as fast as they had,” a news release said.