A Toronto woman owes her life to emergency services including members of the Canadian Coast Guard after she was rescued from Lake Ontario on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. Cobourg Fire Department responded to Green Street at Lake Ontario after a report of a woman on a inflatable inner-tube drifting south east on Lake Ontario.
While responding, firefighters asked dispatch to notify members of the Canadian Coast Guard which are based at the bottom of Division Street with their rescue craft.
When firefighters arrived at the area, the woman had drifted further east and out of sight from where firefighters were located.
A number of emergency services were dispatched east of the original location to see if they could spot the woman.
The woman was by emergency services drifting further out into the lake, south of Coverdale Avenue in Cobourg’s east end.
Firefighters gave the location to members of the Coast Guard who quickly spotted the woman and brought her and the inner-tube back to Cobourg Harbour where she was treated by paramedics and released to her grateful family.
It’s believed an off-shore breeze pushed the inner-tube out from the beach shoreline.
Acting Captain Jeff Briggs said it was a team effort by all emergency services including Cobourg Police, Northumberland County Paramedics, Cobourg Fire Department and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Briggs said a number of factors were in the woman’s favour for a safe rescue including family members who notified 9-1-1, gave a location of where she was last spotted, and the victim didn’t panic and stayed with the inner-tube.
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
