The City of Saskatoon is warning residents to stay out of and away from the South Saskatchewan River after fast-moving water tore loose critical safety buoys near the weir, highlighting the dangerous conditions caused by unusually high river flows. The safety buoys between University Bridge and the weir were damaged and dislodged after water levels surged following heavy rainfall in Alberta. City crews are working to safely reinstall the buoys, but officials stress the river’s extremely hazardous condition. “The City of Saskatoon has seen up to about a 0.8-metre increase in river levels. So certainly, it has gone up,” Patrick Boyle with the Water Security Agency told CTV News. The city is urging people to avoid swimming, boating, paddling, floating and fishing from shore until conditions improve. Officials are also asking people to stay well back from the river’s edge, warning that unstable banks, swift currents and submerged hazards make the area unpredictable. Pet owners are also being reminded to keep animals away from the water. Boat launches below Broadway Bridge and river access points through Meewasin Valley remain closed. For Warren Lemke, who walks along the river daily, the dangers are impossible to ignore. “I look at it and it’s obviously running very fast, and river levels are going up. The buoys are either there or they’re broken. I think it’s happened a couple of times in the last few weeks,” Lemke said. Despite repeated warnings, emergency crews continue responding to river-related incidents. On Saturday, Saskatoon Fire Department crews retrieved an empty boat from the river. The owner was later found safe. Then on Sunday, emergency responders rescued a person stranded on Yorath Island, southwest of the city. Some residents believe more visible warnings and increased enforcement are needed at times like these. “There should be a lot more markings. They should even tell people to stay off it, with police officers patrolling and telling them to stay off the water,” said Vern Fiddler. Oleksandr Holovko agrees, saying larger warning signs would help educate visitors unfamiliar with the river’s dangers. “I think there should be some kind of big signs that would warn people, especially those who come to Saskatoon from other places, about the dangers here,” he said. The warnings come just weeks after a fatal accident claimed the life of a jet skier from Mexico. The man died June 20, and his body was recovered near Warman nearly two weeks later. River flows remain exceptionally high.
