West Kelowna firefighters prep for cold water rescues

WEST KELOWNA – With freezing temperatures comes winter activities like ice skating and ice fishing, so firefighters at West Kelowna Fire Rescue have been practicing their ice rescue techniques all week.

“As crews discovered today, the ice remains unsafe in many locations,” Fire Chief Jason Brolund says in a media release. “Under current conditions, on most lakes, the weight of an adult is still enough to break through and the water is deadly cold.”

Firefighters are specially trained, certified and equipped with cold-weather suits to rescue people who are trapped or have fallen through the ice and advise against attempting rescue yourself if you see someone fall through the ice. Call 9-1-1 immediately, Brolund says.

The Canadian Red Cross website has several tips on staying safe in all kinds of conditions.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.