A swimmer was rescued on Sunday, July 14 after becoming trapped on a cliff beside the Kootenay River, in the Beasley and Blewett area.
Regional District of Central Kootenay Deputy Fire Chief Tristan Feist said firefighters from Beasley, Tarrys, Crescent Valley, and Blewett fire halls were the first to respond to the incident after receiving reports of the stranded swimmer at around 3:00 p.m.
Feist said the man had gotten stuck on rocks on the side of a cliff, upstream of some very rough rapids.
When crews arrived, it was determined that the rescue mission was outside the scope of what the fire services could provide, so Nelson Search and Rescue were called to assist.
BC Hydro and Fortis BC also helped facilitate the rescue by diverting the river’s water flow, allowing first responders access to the individual via watercraft.
Feist said he was pulled off the rock and transported downstream on a seadoo for medical assessment. The rescue mission took about two and a half hours and there were no injuries.
“There were no injuries. He was just stranded there in a very difficult area to get to but luckily, everything else worked out positively.”
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