Teen girl in critical condition after rescue from water at Britannia Beach
Call to Ottawa River beach came around 7:15 p.m. Sunday
A 17-year-old girl was taken to hospital in critical condition after being rescued from the Ottawa River near Britannia Beach on Sunday, according to emergency services.
Police were called about people in distress in the water just after 7 p.m. Sunday. Police then called firefighters for help, Ottawa Fire Services said in a news release issued Monday morning.
When firefighters arrived, lifeguards and civilians were searching for a swimmer who had been underwater for about nine minutes.
Two other swimmers had already made it safely back to shore, the fire department said.
The fire crew launched a water rescue boat. Someone found the missing swimmer underwater, then a firefighter pulled them out and carried them to other firefighters who were waiting to start CPR.
Paramedics arrived and took the girl to hospital.
The fire department commended the work of the lifeguards on duty at the beach, "who quickly co-ordinated a search and rescue team to locate the missing swimmer," according to the release.
Ottawa's city beaches, which also include Mooney's Bay and Petrie Island, are supervised from 12 to 7 p.m. during the swimming season.