Off-duty lifeguard rescues 80-year-old man who fell into Ottawa River

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An off-duty lifeguard is credited with helping save the life of an 80-year-old man who fell into the Ottawa River earlier this week.

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The man fell from a boat on Tuesday near the Cumberland Ferry, according to the Ottawa Police Service.

Fortunately, the service wrote in a tweet, he was wearing a life jacket.

Passengers on a nearby ferry spotted him in the water at 7:39 p.m.

« One of the passengers, an off-duty lifeguard, put on a life jacket, entered the water and rescued him, » the OPS said. « With the help of other passengers, he was pulled aboard the ferry. »

The elderly man suffered from hypothermia, « indicating that he had been in the water for a long time », according to the police. Paramedics treated the man and determined his condition was not life threatening.

“Even though it is midsummer, the water temperature is cold enough that long exposure could be dangerous,” said Sgt. Walt Lushman of the PAHO Marine Unit, in the service’s social media post.

« Having his life jacket before he fell in probably saved his life, as well as the quick actions of the ferry operator, lifeguard, passengers and paramedics. »