A coordinated RCMP rescue using a drone and a police jet boat saved a man stranded in the fast-moving waters of the Fraser River near Chilliwack on Tuesday morning.Chilliwack RCMP said officers responded at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday after receiving reports of a man calling for help from the Fraser River near Old Orchard Road and Arnold Road.Front-line officers were joined by members of the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service and the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment indigenous Policing Services.When officers arrived, they found the man standing in the river, unable to safely reach shore because of the strong current.Police quickly coordinated a rescue using specialized equipment.Officers operating a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System flew a brightly coloured personal flotation device to the stranded man, giving him immediate flotation support while crews prepared a recovery plan..Moments later, officers with the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment indigenous Policing Services navigated a police jet boat through the hazardous river conditions, reached the man and safely brought him aboard.BC Emergency Health Services paramedics assessed the man after he was transported to shore.The rescued man thanked the responding officers as well as a passerby who heard his cries for help and called 911.Const. Marc Verreault, the RCMP jet boat operator involved in the rescue, said the incident highlighted the dangers of the Fraser River."It was a successful and positive outcome to a risky and complex situation," Verreault said. "The Fraser River has strong currents, cold waters, shallow gravel bars, and log jams that can create several hazards for people who fall into the river, as well as for their rescuers."The RCMP credited the successful outcome to the coordinated efforts of multiple police units and the member of the public who alerted emergency services.Police are reminding residents to use extreme caution around the Fraser River, warning that water conditions can change rapidly and become dangerous without warning.
