Bystanders Dive Into Rideau River to Save SUV Occupants

An early morning run turned into a chaotic water rescue on Friday after Ottawa resident Lesley Tomlinson heard a vehicle screeching its brakes.

At 5:40 a.m., an SUV skidded through the nearby intersection of Riverside Drive and Walkley Road, striking a traffic light pole before plunging down a steep embankment, landing in the Rideau River.

A neighbor who also heard the crash rushed out of her house and called 911. But before first responders could arrive, another motorist had already pulled over to help.

An anonymous driver—whom Tomlinson later told CBC was the “real superstar”—got out of her car and dove into the river to reach the driver of the sinking car.

Upon swimming to the vehicle, the rescuer shouted back to shore that the passenger could not swim.

Tomlinson, a former teenage lifeguard, heard the cry and dove into the water, shouting assertive commands to prevent the panicked passenger from dragging them both underwater. She flipped him onto his back and swam him to shore just as the SUV became fully submerged.

No one was hurt. Paramedics assessed the occupants of the sunken car, and both the driver and passenger were released at the scene.

Then Tomlinson, who teaches at a local high school, told CTV she went to work as usual after the early morning incident. She told her students and peers what had happened, driving home an important lesson about water safety and why it’s important to learn to swim.

Officers directed traffic immediately following the accident while the traffic lights underwent repairs. As of Monday, the signals are back up.

The circumstances of the crash currently haven’t been made public.