Jet Ski Accident on Nechako River
First responder scours Nechao River with binoculars from Foothills Bridge. Photo 250News
Prince George, B.C. – At least one person was left in need of medical attention following an incident in which two people wound up in the Nechako River Sunday afternoon.
First responders were called to the Foothills Bridge shortly after 3:30 pm to deal with a report that someone was in difficulty in the river well upstream of the bridge but within city limits.
The person who phoned in the report joined police, fire and ambulance personnel at the bridge. The man, who does not want his name publicized, indicated to 250 News that there were two people involved. He says “I didn’t see them go in the water, they just were floating down the river, well they weren’t floating they were in panic mode yelling “help”. They must have stayed with the boat until they got to the houses at the north end of North Nechako (road).”
Asked if the two had been in a boat he said “to begin with, and as soon as they got to the houses they started trying swimming to shore, and the young guy got to shore just about at my place, or just upstream from me (in the 8000 block North Nechako), and the next guy was still floating and he was quite a bit older. He was out of energy and was just floating with his life jacket on.”
The eyewitness clarifies that it was not a boat that was involved. “Ya it looked like a jet ski, they had two guys on it earlier when it went up the river.” He also believes it is 7 or 8 kilometres from his property to the Foothills Bridge.
He says he attempted to move along the river bank as the older man was floating down the river but “I couldn’t keep up to him.” Asked he if believed the man had been carried down river past the bridge he said “oh he hasn’t gone past here, he wouldn’t have gone past here.”
Then as we were speaking word came that a man had come out of the river in the 7000 block Bench Drive and an official on scene stated “they got both of them.” That was at 4:10 pm.
The eyewitness says “everybody knows everybody along the river and I think there was people phoning down the river that knew people had boats, and he is out.”
An ambulance was sent from the bridge to the Bench Drive location after word came that one person was suffering from hypothermia. There is no indication of that person’s condition or the condition of the younger person involved at this time.
Comments
Why did this require the fire department?
Ladders , lines, local knowledge ?
Local knowledge of the river? When is the last time you saw someone put a ladder in a river? Here’s a tip, they don’t float.
Joe blow don’t know much about the capabilities or skills of the fire dept do you. Get in a jam who you gonna call
Alaloss they had life jackets on part of required equipment. If they had gotton thrown off and with the currents may have drifted away from the craft. Hard to swim with a life jacket on. If they hit something and split the hull bailer is not going to help.
Every member of the fire department is trained in water rescue. The other agencies don’t even go on to the bank. So unless the police were needed to arrest someone or ambulance needed to put a band aid on why were they there?
The PGFD has several members trained in swift water rescue.
Swift water rescue, rope & high angle rescue.
Apparently there are lots of people here who lack understanding of what the emergency services do and why so many agencies are involved you might do well to read up on what all the roles emergency services do in any given situation it might enlighten you to the greater roles they have but then again you might want to be blissfully ignorant
Fire department- Trained in water rescue and water response
Police- co-ordinate with fire and ambulance services to gain access to properties and other services (They have the authority commandeer boats, vehicles and other equipment)
Ambulance- Take over from Fire department any needed medical (fire department is general first aid with some specialization while ambulance crews are specialized)
If you have to ask such a stupid question you don’t deserve an answer.
Do jet skis require safety equipment like all other water craft ? If not , why? Like throw line , Bailer , paddle or oar , signalling devise , fire extinguisher if is gas is involved . They seem to have positive buoyancy.
Yes they do and you are also required to have a licence.
Any motorized personal watercraft require all the above and you are required to carry a boaters license with you while operating said craft and a copy of the latest boating regulations (Federal law)
Joe Blow – please use common sense prior to posting your thoughts. Maybe just think for a few minutes…..
Reading this account it sounded like it happened in Fargo.
The boaters licence is about as good as having an expired credit card in your pocket. Nothing but a money grab. How did we ever get by without it before.
wow, oldman prints a smart post.
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