Cooling swim 'went south really fast,' says mother, after son and friend rescued at Miles Canyon

Tabitha Chiasson has some advice for anybody thinking of taking a dip in the Yukon River these days — "don't do it."

Chiasson is still shaken after her 18-year-old son Isaiah Devilliers and a friend of his had a harrowing experience in the frigid and fast-moving water of Miles Canyon in Whitehorse on Monday evening. The two young friends had been swimming at the end of a hot summer day, but the fun ended with them clinging to the rocky shore, waiting for rescue.

"These kids just thought, you know, 'it's just another day in the park.' It's a hot day, you know, trying to jump and swim and live their carefree after-school years … This could have been so bad," Chiasson said.

"They're good kids. They don't party … They were just hanging out having a good time and things just went south really fast." 

She lives in Old Crow, Yukon, and got the story from her son and her mom, who Isaiah lives with in Whitehorse.

According to Chiasson, the young friends were just at the top of the canyon, above the suspension bridge, when Isaiah's friend fell and appeared to have to hit her head. That's when Isaiah jumped after her, and tried to get her to shore.

"And just as he got to the shore, he said the current pulled them apart and he just didn't have it in him anymore to swim," Chiasson said. The two managed to cling onto the cliffs, she said.

It wasn't long before some boaters arrived from downstream on Schwatka Lake and helped get the two — who were not wearing life jackets — out of the water. RCMP and the Whitehorse Fire Department also arrived to help with the rescue. 

"During the mobilization of extensive multi-agency resources, two separate groups of civilian boaters, already on the Yukon River, located each of the individuals and were able to bring them onboard and transport to waiting Fire and EMS units," reads an online post from Yukon Protective Services.

An 'eye-opener'

Chiasson said her son and the young woman were taken to hospital to be checked out, and other than being a little scraped up, are fine.

She's grateful that Isaiah is a relatively big and strong guy. Not everyone would have been able to make it out OK, she said. Still, she thinks the experience has been an "eye-opener" for her son and his friends. 

"All he could say to me this morning when I called him was, 'I'll never do it again Mom, and I love you so much," Chiasson said, tearing up.

"Things can happen so fast and that river, you know, it's taken a lot of lives in my lifetime ... and now it's like twice as high as it's ever been. So just stay right away from it, you know, stick a little toe in, that's about all."

RCMP have issued a similar warning.

"Swift water and high water conditions currently in the Whitehorse area continues to be a risk to those participating in water activities. The Miles Canyon area is extremely fast water and provides danger to anyone entering the water," read a news release on Tuesday.