A dramatic ice rescue was caught on camera by a bystander at West Kelowna’s Shannon Lake Golf Course.
A man in his 60s had fallen through the ice at the small lake.
Bystanders are heard in the video saying the man had been in the freezing water for around 10 minutes before the fire department arrived.
“I’m very proud of our crews who trained all winter for this type of event,” said West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.
“They were able to get into the water very quickly, and pull the gentleman out of the water and pull him to safety.”
Brolund said it was the department’s first ice rescue of the season.
He went on to say it was unclear to why the man was on the thinly-frozen lake but, thankfully, their training led to quick action.
“The gentleman is being transported to the hospital with the B.C. Ambulance Service,” said Brolund.
“He was not injured that we could see, but was freezing cold.”
Ice season is officially over, according to the West Kelowna Fire Department.
Brolund is warning residents to stay off the ice.
“It was double digit temperatures yesterday, it was double digit temperatures today and we are not even into the warmest part of the day. This was a bad choice,” Brolund told Global News on Tuesday.
“I encourage the public to stay off the ice in valley bottoms now, it is not safe.”
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