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Troubled girl rescued from Ottawa River

posted by Stephanie.Wilding

Troubled girl rescued from Ottawa River

By DOUG HEMPSTEAD, QMI Agency



OTTAWA - An act of heroism has given a troubled teen a second shot at life.

Frank Gagnon was on his way to his dentist appointment Wednesday around 11 a.m. when he spotted a girl face down in the Ottawa River near Victoria Island.

The 55-year-old Bank of Canada protective services worker immediately climbed down the 7-metre steep embankment, pulled her out, and slapped her face a few times because she wasn't breathing.

"I got a response from that," said Gagnon, 55. "Our team at work is trained in first aid, so I made sure I did all my checks. The training comes in handy."

Ottawa fire department spokesman Marc Messier said the 15-year-old is believed to have gone in the water from the shore near the Portage Bridge, where Gagnon rescued her from the swift current.

Messier said Chief John deHooge thinks Gagnon's name should be put forward for a commendation.


The girl's sister and mother agree.

"We think he deserves a medal for saving her life," they said via e-mail Wednesday evening.

But Gagnon doesn't want anyone to make a fuss.

"I don't think I did anything out of the ordinary," said Gagnon. "She was such a young lady. I saw her and thought, 'Oh my God -- I've got to help out.' That's what it's supposed to be all about, right?"

He said she was wearing very light summer clothing and was still having trouble breathing, so he put his sweater on her and snuggled up to keep her warm and talking.

"She just wanted to sleep," he said.

When he first saw her, he said she was along the shoreline, her head resting on a rock.

"She told me, poor thing, that the current kept carrying her away," said Gagnon. "It's a good thing she was wearing white -- I never would have seen her otherwise."

The girl, who complained to Gagnon of a leg injury, was taken to CHEO to be treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.

Construction workers in a pontoon boat also helped in the rescue. The girl was then handed off to firefighters who had deployed their search-and-rescue boat.

A paramedic also accompanied firefighters out to meet the rescuers as they brought the girl in to shore.

The workers said the girl had been near the water all morning and they watched her walking back and forth on the south bank, tearing up bits of paper and said she appeared to be crying.

They said she made her way down the rock face and put her feet in the water. She then stood up, and paced back and forth a couple feet before putting her hood over her head and diving in like someone dives into a pool. No screams or sounds were heard.

She tried to swim back on shore but the current appeared to be too strong and she floated downstream about 18 metres to a small outcropping of rocks, which is where Gagnon found her.

Rescue officials confirmed it was a suicide attempt.

- With files from Darren Brown

doug.hempstead@sunmedia.ca



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