There are happy congratulations back and forth Sunday morning as residents of the tiny Saskatchewan town of Warman celebrate the rescue of a young woman from certain death in the icy water of the Saskatchewan River. This lady decided to take an “ice road” short cut at the Clarkboro Ferry Crossing on the river yesterday in her car. It is a practice known to rural areas and probably not such a smart one. But telling country people what to do is not as simple as towing cars off Bayview Ave. The vehicle cracked through the ice at the front end. The woman furiously tried to call 9-1-1. The signal broke up so she rolled down the window and climbed onto the top of the car. She was able to get her cry for help out to the Warman Fire Department. From the look of the pictures, it seems like every single member of the department responded. But how to get the woman off the top of the car? The firefighters set up what the news stories call “rescue equipment” on solid ice a good four feet away from the car with the driver on top. They told her she would have to jump the distance and she did. It was very close. Deputy Chief Russ Austin told the CBC: “They had the victim jump over four feet of open water to where they had the rescue equipment set up on the ice and they rescued her as she jumped, and from the time her foot left her vehicle on her jump … basically they grabbed her and looked and there was no evidence of the car anymore,” Austin said, adding she was very lucky. Today, fire officials and local residents are saying the woman deserves credit for her own deliverance since she kept her wits. Townsfolk are saying they offered prayers as they saw the trucks heading out to the river. All are joyful for the happy ending. Might be good to stay off the ice like mom and dad said however.
