A Saskatoon police officer is being praised for their bravery in rescuing a teenager who was stuck in a storm drain due to rising rainwater last week. The situation was deemed serious and frightening for both the teen and emergency responders, according to Sean Thody, the deputy fire chief present at the scene.
The incident unfolded near the 3700 block of Kinnear Avenue around 8 p.m. CST on Aug. 14, prompting a swift response from officers. The young man was found trapped inside the drain, pressed against the bars by the force of the water.
Thody emphasized the physical impossibility of resisting the strong water flow. The first officer on site entered the drain, holding the boy’s head above water until the fire department arrived to coordinate the rescue operation.
The rescue effort, described as “organized chaos” by Thody, involved using tools to widen the grate and create space for the teen to be freed. The entire operation lasted nearly two hours before the teenager was safely transported to the hospital.
City officials revealed that four teenage boys had accessed the stormwater system through an outfall, with the storm sewers filling up rapidly during the rain. While three boys managed to escape, one was swept towards a covered outfall and became trapped.
Before emergency services arrived, the remaining boys helped shield their friend from the water, ensuring he could breathe. Following the incident, residents were cautioned against entering city infrastructure like sewers and urged to report any compromised structures to authorities.
The city stressed that only authorized personnel should access such locations due to the inherent dangers. Regular inspections are conducted on outfalls, but public cooperation in reporting risks is essential to maintaining safety standards.
