Child in life-threatening condition after rescue from Britannia Beach
A child has been hospitalized in life-threatening condition after being rescued from the water at Britannia Beach on Monday afternoon.
Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) told CBC they got a call at 3:50 p.m. about a child having potentially drowned at the beach.
Before they arrived, members were told the child had been recovered from the water and bystanders were performing CPR, Deputy Chief David Matschke said.
Firefighters took over until the arrival of paramedics, who then took the child to hospital. The child's gender has not been confirmed.
Ottawa police said they also received a call about a child who was possibly unconscious in the water. The Ottawa Paramedic Service described the child's condition as critical and life-threatening.
Rachel Paddon was at the beach and said she saw a boy without a life jacket under the water, who needed resuscitation when brought to shore. (Brian Morris/CBC)
Rachel Paddon was at the beach and said she saw a boy under the water without a life jacket, who needed resuscitation when brought to shore.
"It hurt my heart, big time," she said. "I've never seen anything like this in my life."
Another beach visitor, Leslie Defazio, said she wanted to bring her grandson into the water "and then we come upon this."
"It's just awful," she said.
2nd water incident in 1 week
It's the second water incident in that area in the last week.
Last Tuesday, a man was pronounced dead at hospital after emergency crews rescued him from the water in the Deschênes Rapids.
The city has not started to supervise swimming at its four beaches yet. Lifeguards will monitor Britannia Beach, Mooney's Bay Beach, Petrie East Bay and Petrie River from June 15 until Aug. 25, 2024, from noon to 7 p.m. daily, according to the City of Ottawa.
Last summer, local officials emphasized water safety in the area after numerous rescues had to be made.
In one incident, a 17-year-old girl was rescued and the body of a 21-year-old man was recovered days later.
