There has been a public outcry after a South River couple claimed that the South River – Machar Fire Department refused to help their dog, Brody, who had fallen through the ice. Sadly, Brody died.
In a statement, The Village of South River stated: “It is crucial to recognize that areas with significant current present substantial dangers for ice water rescue operations. Tragically, there have been instances of firefighter fatalities during swift water rescue training within our Province in recent years.
In conclusion, we must consistently conduct a risk analysis for all emergency responses to prioritize the safety of our firefighters. However, when there is a human life at risk and within our capability to save, our firefighters will always step forward and take necessary actions to ensure every effort is made to preserve that life.”
- Don McArthur, Clerk-Administrator, The Village of South River
As we researched what firefighter training involving ice rescues entails, we found recent incidents where firefighters did rescue dogs who had fallen through the ice.
Global News posted a story on January 8th, 2024 stating, “Firefighters in Peterborough, Ont., are being hailed as heroes after saving a dog which fell through the thin ice on the Trent Canal late last week.” The accompanying video shows two firefighters in a boat, tethered, in the water rescuing the dog.
https://globalnews.ca/news/10211833/peterborough-firefighters-dog-ice-rescue-trent-canal/
A CTV news article dated April 8th, 2023 reports that Ottawa Fire Services rescued a dog that had fallen through the ice. The story includes video shared on social media showing two firefighters cutting up ice to reach the dog.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-firefighters-rescue-dog-that-fell-through-ice-1.6347663
It’s important to remember that the conditions and risk involved in these three incidents vary and impact whether it was safe for the firefighters to perform the rescues. Other variables to consider could include the availability of rescue equipment, available staffing, and training.
Many fire departments in the 705 region are largely comprised of volunteer firefighters who dedicate hours of their time to serving their community. The training for firefighters is extremely stringent and the standards are very high, and volunteer firefighters must also undergo intensive training.
In Almaguin, firefighters are facing several challenges when it comes to training. In December, the McMurrich-Monteith fire department received a $5,000 grant from Enbridge Gas to help purchase materials to assist with training firefighters in life-saving techniques. All five Almaguin fire departments will be sharing these new resources. But as the fire departments work to train their volunteers, they must also cope with a significant rise in calls.
To watch that video go to: https://705blackfly.com/mcmurrich-monteith-fire-dept-receives-5000-grant/
In our interview with Don McArthur, Clerk-Administrator of The Village of South River he said, ““We spend a lot of money to train our fire department and unfortunately it’s not possible to do swift current rescue training and bring them up to a level that would be required. “Those are kind of the hard decisions that municipalities have to make about where the resources are. One of the biggest challenges is that they are a volunteer firefighter force so to bring them up to that level would require a tremendous commitment on their behalf over and above the cost of the training itself and then maintaining it. It’s a very difficult, challenging rescue to do.”
As McArthur stated, there have been firefighter fatalities during swift water rescue training within Ontario. There are countless incidents when first responders have risked their lives to save both animals and people who fall through ice. These rescues can be extremely dangerous and put the lives of firefighters in jeopardy.
Brody’s owners, Dennis and Linda Weaver, are asking members of the public to attend council meetings in Joly Township and South River to address the incident in South River. There will be a council meeting in South River on January 23rd.
705 BLACKFLY.COM will continue to follow this story.
If you missed our stories about the incident in South River you can view them at:
South River Responds To Allegations Made Against Fire Chief After Dog Drowns
Linda & Dennis Weaver Speak Out Against The South River Fire Dept After Their Dog Drowned
