Boy rescued from river after leaving schoolground

A Fort Garry school community is reeling after a six-year-old boy went missing during recess on Tuesday and was found wading into the Red River — a “close call” emergency responders say could have ended in tragedy if not for a police boat’s lucky timing.

Oakenwald School staff called local police around 11:30 a.m. to report a child had fled the playground, located steps from Wildwood Park and about five blocks west of the major waterway.

The crisis prompted available teachers, support staff and police officers to organize a search party.

Const. Jason Michalyshen of the Winnipeg Police Service said it took just over an hour to rescue the child, who has a known attraction to water, and was “a moment away from being submerged” when he was located.

“Members of our river patrol had access to the water and began patrolling the river in that area and were at the right place, at the right time — and we’re very thankful for that,” Michalyshen said.

The public information officer said foot and river patrols, in addition to cadets and the WPS drone unit, were dispatched to the scene. He said a missing persons report was “prepped and ready in the queue,” but the boy was found right before it was released publicly.

A river patrol officer found the student near the 600 block of South Drive and entered the water to pull him out, the police spokesman said, adding no injuries were reported and the boy was reunited with his family.

Michalyshen noted the six-year-old entered the water without understanding the potential dangers of doing so.

He added: “I think curiosity will always take precedence over making good choices (at that age), and we certainly don’t blame the young child for that.”

In a mass email sent Tuesday, Oakenwald’s principal informed families that a student had left the school grounds suddenly earlier in the day, the absence was “quickly noticed,” and a police search took place to safely locate the child.

School leader Cam Grier noted a cross-country meet that was scheduled for students in grades 4 to 6 was cancelled “to maximize search resources.”

“In an abundance of caution, the staff will review recess and lunch-hour procedures with all students,” Grier said.

One staff member said that although the student is a known “flight risk” and requires full-time supervision, there are not enough educational assistants to meet the varying needs of all children enrolled at the kindergarten-to-Grade 6 school.

“You can turn your head and a student’s gone. That’s how fast this child is,” said the employee, who agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity. “And I think with our resources being stretched so thin and people bouncing from student to student with support, people are stressed, they’re tired, they’re not on their game, and the student somehow got away.”

The adults in the building are frustrated that budget constraints have put the safety and well-being of students at risk, they said, adding it has been an emotional week for teachers and EAs.

“First and foremost, we’re thankful and so happy this child is safe and nothing bad happened. We didn’t lose this child for good, but there’s anger,” they said.

The employee added: “We care deeply for our students, and do the best we can. There is only so much we can do with what we are given.”

Educational Assistants of Pembina Trails referred a reporter to division administration. The local teachers’ union also declined to comment on the incident.

Superintendent Lisa Boles was not made available for an interview.

A brief statement from Boles noted she was unable to provide details related to the incident, owing to the need to protect student privacy, and touted the Pembina Trails School Division’s “excellent staff” team that provides educational programming and related support.

The division’s crisis-response plan was activated after the student went missing, according to division procedures when an event of this nature happens. Boles said staff have already engaged in a review of safety protocols.

Police provide public education throughout the year about river safety and the risks of living in a city built around numerous waterways, Michalyshen said.

“Whether it’s during the summer, winter months — our river systems can be very treacherous locations, not only for children, but even for adults. We’ve sadly lost a lot of lives in the river, and that could be people innocently walking near or, in some cases, going into the water,” he said.

This story was originally published in The Free Press. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.