By Jill Sperling

River swimmer draws large response by emergency services

Mar 24, 2018 | 2:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — A man swimming in the river got plenty of attention from emergency crews early Saturday afternoon. 

RCMP, BC Ambulance, and Kamloops Fire Rescue were called out at around 1:30 p.m. for a man clinging to an old bridge support in the Thompson River. 

KFR Captain Mike Haines says crews prepared for a water rescue.

“The river’s too low to run our boats, so we sent crews that had river rescue equipment on it,” Haines said. “Once we were on scene the male was in no immediate distress. He was standing up next to a piling, so he may have swam to the piling but this time the water was knee-high.

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“We put guys in swift-water gear and started making our way to help him out, and then he swam to shore on his own.” 

Haines says the man appeared to be unharmed once he was out of the river. 

“I think he may have been cold and maybe re-thought the decision he made to try to swim across the river, but he appeared to be fine.”