A man was rescued from the Fraser River Thursday morning
A man was saved from the Fraser River Thursday thanks to some fast-acting New Westminster police officers.
Around 6 a.m. on April 26, New Westminster Police Department was alerted about a man in distress in the middle of the Fraser River. The department dispatched its marine unit, which rushed to the New Westminster Quay and boarded the Shaw 1 police boat, according to a press release.
The officers, including Sgt. Greg Smith and constables Sandra Tehennepe and Genevieve Joel, were able to locate the man quickly and pull him out of the water.
He was rushed to hospital once on shore.
“Luckily we were able to get there as soon as we did,” Smith said in the release. “The male appeared to be hypothermic, and we knew every second counted.”
New Westminster police spokesperson Sgt. Jeff Scott agreed.
“The temperature of the Fraser River at this time of year is very cold due to the snow melt,” Scott said in the release. “This could have ended in tragedy had it not been for the quick response of those members involved and their ability to successfully perform these rescues in highly stressful situations.”
The investigation into how the man ended up in the river is ongoing, but at this time, officers don’t believe any foul play was involved.
