A man was rescued from a water-filled ditch after his vehicle flipped near Killarney, Manitoba on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (RCMP HANDOUT)
Manitoba RCMP quickly rescued a man whose vehicle flipped and landed in a water-filled ditch earlier this week.
The single-vehicle crash happened on Wednesday morning on Highway 18, approximately 10 kilometres north of Killarney.
Officers were on patrol heading northbound when they witnessed a southbound car lose control and flip onto its roof into the ditch on the west shoulder.
Police stopped and called for an ambulance, while one of the officers ran to the ditch. The officer jumped into the cold water and pulled the driver out through the open passenger window. The car was filled with water at the time and the officer went back to ensure nobody else was inside.
The 20-year-old male driver from Killarney suffered minor injuries and was transported to hospital where he was treated and released.
“The young driver was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision, and that certainly helped in saving his life,” said Sergeant Eric Descoteaux, the senior officer on scene from Turtle Mountain RCMP.
“We are just so relieved that we happened to be in the right place to witness this collision and that we could respond immediately. Some days, being a first responder is heartbreaking, but because we were in the right place at the right time, and my partner jumped in that water so quickly, today was not one of those days.”
