A/OFRC staff heroes Sarah A. Couchie, Sarah Couchie and Nancy Debassige stand outside the head office in North Bay with General Manager Ed Desson after the incident on the Spanish River near Espanola.
What began as a usual workday morning, Wednesday June 3rd, 2009, for Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre (A/OFRC) staff Sarah A. Couchie, Nancy Debassige and Sarah Couchie, quickly became a day they will never forget.
As fisheries workers for the A/OFRC, both Sarah’s and Nancy were at the Espanola boat launch, ready to begin work on the Spanish River. At approximately 9:40 am, as they were waiting to launch their boat, an elderly couple John Beltman and Frieda Moss were backing their boat into the icy waters of the river. Mrs. Moss was holding the boat rope when Mr. Beltman got out of the cr-v to help her. Forgetting to put the car in park, the vehicle, along with the boat in-tow, were pulled into the cold river and dragged under water by the current. Beltman was able to avoid being pulled into the water but Moss was not so lucky. The vehicle sunk instantly causing the back hatch to open. It was pulled back about 20 metres and at least 3 metres under water. Moss was pulled into the water with the boat and clung to it floating down the river about 30 metres. Luckily she was wearing a lifejacket which more than likely saved her life.
As things became increasingly more serious the A/OFRC crew who were watching the events unfold in front of them, acted quickly, calling to the stranded woman to swim to shore. Luckily, the current naturally pushed her and the boat, she was hanging on to, closer to the river’s edge where Sarah A. Couchie was able to step into the water reach out and pull her towards the shoreline with the help of the other staff.
While Moss was in the water, Nancy was able to call 911. Shortly afterwards Espanola Police Service, Espanola Volunteer Fire Department – Fire/Rescue and Manitoulin-Sudbury OSSAB Ambulance Services responded to the call and arrived. “It was quite overwhelming to see the woman in the cold water, but you really have no choice than to do what you can to help” said Sarah A. Couchie.
The couple were taken by ambulance to Espanola General Hospital suffering from minor injuries and hypothermia. The boat was also towed in by the A/OFRC staff after the accident, while a diver was brought in later to help retrieve the vehicle and trailer out of the Spanish River. “We are very grateful that the staff were there and helped us”, said the couple, “we would say thanks in person "but you know where our car is" they went on to say.
