New website helps prepare people before going onto the river

By Brian Konrad

Water safety stressed as the river beckons

Fire service: ‘Where there’s water, there’s risk’

Jun 1, 2021 | 12:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — With temperatures soaring into the mid 30s this week, the cool water of the South Saskatchewan River is an inviting respite from the heat.

But a member of the Aquatic Rescue team with the Medicine Hat Fire Service reminds everyone that “where there’s water, there’s risk.”

The Aquatic Rescue team has three boats and are often seen on the river, either on patrol or as part of their on-going training.

Capt. Jason Labash has been a member of the team for about 15 years and says the South Saskatchewan is a great place for summer recreation, as long as safety precautions remain a top priority.

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There’s a new website that will help prepare anyone before heading out onto the river, and Labash encourages everyone to visit the site before heading onto the river.

“I think if I could only get everyone, before they actually went out onto the river, just to check that real quick, that would make everyone’s boating and floating experience so much better,” says Labash.

He says the times when they do actually get called, is when people enter the river unprepared.

The aquatic rescue team was called to the river near Echo Dale last night, where they safely rescued a man who had fallen out of his kayak while fishing.