Emergency crews rescue man from Red River near Redwood Bridge

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service rescued a man the Red River early Monday morning.

Just before 6:00 a.m., crews responded to reports of a man seen struggling in the water near the Disraeli Bridge. He was being swept north by the swift current.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service and Winnipeg police deployed a water rescue team along the river, and were able to reach the man north of the Redwood Bridge.

He was safely brought to shore by boat about 6:18 a.m. and taken to the hospital in stable condition.

At this time, WFPS say it is unknown how the man came to be in the water, or how long he was in it.

People are advised that all waterways should be considered hazardous at this time, including rivers, retention ponds, and ditches.

The WFPS shares the following water safety tips:

• Avoid high and swiftly moving waters. They are extremely dangerous and cold, and carry both visible and unseen debris.
• Stay away from the banks of rivers and waterways. Banks are unstable and the volume of moving water can easily sweep someone away.
• Speak to children of all ages about the dangers of river banks, streams, drainage ditches and retention ponds, particularly when they are old enough to be left unsupervised and might be playing with friends in their neighbourhood.
• Keep dogs on leash around waterways to prevent them from chasing geese or ducks into the water.

Last year, the WFPS rersponded to approximately 150 water rescue calls.