Over 100 different people participated in Operation High Water in Cobourg on Friday, June 21, 2019.
The annual emergency exercise is intended to test the Cobourg emergency plan in dealing with a major incident that has happened in the town.
On Friday, the event started with a five-year-old missing and the life guards performing a search along the beach on a Canada Day weekend with thousands of people along the beach area.
The search was called off a short time later when the boy was found, but a boat on Lake Ontario called in a “may day” stating they were in trouble, the boat caught fire, exploded and sank.
Nearly 30 people were tossed into Lake Ontario and had to be rescued. Some of the injured swam to shore and were helped by life guards, others were rescued by various agencies including fire departments along with OPP Marine Unit and the Canadian Coast Guard.
A Search and Rescue Griffin helicopter from CFB Trenton was called in to rescue three patients from the water who had jumped off the boat before prior to it exploding.
Two Search and Rescue technicians jumped into the water to rescue the individuals who were placed onto a OPP boat and transferred to shore where they were loaded onto the rescue helicopter that had landed near Cobourg Marina. The three individuals were taken to Northumberland Hills Hospital for treatment.
A spill in Lake Ontario was contained by the crew from the Coast Guard cutter Cape Rescue.
Emergency Services Coordinator for the Town of Cobourg, Shannon Murphy said it was a “unique” exercise and it was amazing to see the different agencies working together.
Involved agencies
Cobourg Fire Department
Trent Hills Fire Department
Port Hope Fire Department
Alnwick/Haldimand Township Fire Department
Cobourg Police
Northumberland OPP Marine Unit
Peterborough OPP Marine Unit
Northumberland County Paramedics
Canadian Coast Guard
424 Search and Rescue Squadron from CFB Trenton
CASARA – Civil Air Search and Rescue Association
Northumberland Hills Hospital
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
