High river, high risk: Officials stand by safety warnings after weekend rescue

Sean Thody, deputy fire chief of operations and emergency communications, speaks to CTV News about dangerous conditions on the South Saskatchewan River. (Carla Shynkaruk / CTV News)

Despite another river rescue over the weekend, Saskatoon officials say they are not changing their approach to warning people about dangerous conditions on the South Saskatchewan River.

With river flows sitting at roughly three times their normal level, city officials continue to urge residents and visitors to take warnings seriously.

Fast-moving currents and hidden hazards remain a concern following a weekend rescue from Yorath Island southwest of the city and the death of a visitor from Mexico who was jet skiing near the weir in June.

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Sean Thody, deputy fire chief of operations and emergency communications, says Saskatoon’s rapid population growth means many people enjoying the river may not fully understand its dangers.

“Being that our population has grown almost 80,000 over the last few years, there’s a lot of new people to Saskatoon that are enjoying the river,” Thody told CTV News. “We’re just trying to keep everybody safe because they’re not aware of the hazards that are present there.

He says people who have lived in Saskatoon for years often have a better understanding of the river’s changing conditions, while newcomers and visitors may not recognize the risks.

The high water is also limiting emergency response options. The Saskatoon Fire Department cannot conduct dive operations when river flows exceed 450 cubic metres per second. Current flows are around 770 cubic metres per second, meaning crews must rely on swift-water rescue techniques instead.

“There is always concern for us when it comes to swift-water rescues, so that really doesn’t change for us,” Thody said.

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Officials are also reminding boaters that the detached buoy line upstream of the weir is not intended to stop watercraft. Instead, it serves as a visual warning, giving boaters time to turn around before reaching the dangerous waters near the weir.

While the Saskatoon Fire Department will assist with reattaching the buoy line when conditions allow, it is not responsible for deploying or maintaining the system.

The city says warning signs, public advisories and media coverage remain its primary tools for getting the message out. Thody says those efforts have been effective.

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“We’re pretty satisfied with the help from the media and city hall’s media relations team in getting the warnings and awareness out there,” he said.

Still, he acknowledges there’s a fine line between raising awareness and causing unnecessary alarm.

“We don’t want to throw public fear into everybody, but on the same token, there has to be that awareness out there.”

Saskatoon’s surface water rescue team has 30 members and five were deployed for the island rescue on Sunday.