River search ends for person reported in distress

The Saskatoon Fire Department called off its rescue search after spending nearly six hours on the South Saskatchewan River Monday.

According to officials, a 911 call came in around 11 a.m. reporting a person in distress in the river.

Five apparatus — including two water rescue boats — were dispatched to the area between the Sid Buckwold and Gordie Howe bridges.

At one point, the department had three water rescue boats delivering four divers into the river and searching for the reported individual.

By 4 p.m., a single boat with sonar capability remained on scene. Within the hour, the river sweep was called off.

The Saskatoon Fire Department said efforts will resume should new information be presented.

People are urged to stay out of the river and off the ice. Ponds in Saskatoon are also no longer safe for recreational use.

“The degradation we’re observing along the shoreline could make access treacherous,” Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Rodger said in a news release Monday.

“Once the ice starts to deteriorate — as it has this year — the thickness of the ice is no longer an indication of its strength.”