First responders demonstrate successful teamwork in Napanee waterfall rescue
March 25, 2025
A man who drove his car into the river above the Napanee Falls this past weekend was saved by a team of first responders displaying courage and coordination.
Members of Greater Napanee Fire and Rescue, the Lennox and Addington (L&A) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and L&A Paramedic Services came to the aid of the vehicle's lone occupant after the car entered the Napanee River waterfall at Springside Park shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025. After a 90-minute rescue effort, the driver was removed by Greater Napanee Fire Service's Water Rescue Team and transported to a local hospital. The involved vehicle was left in the river and will be removed once crews can obtain the proper equipment, according to police.
When Kingstonist arrived at 6:50 p.m., several first responders were on the scene. A red Napanee Fire and Rescue utility pickup truck was at the fence line at the crest of the falls. Larger fire trucks, an ambulance, and OPP vehicles remained on the pavement since the park’s turf was soft from the recent spring melt. Firefighters were suiting up to enter the water as the vehicle teetered at the brink of the falls.
Witnesses above the falls indicated that a man drove a white Honda Civic at high speed across a footpath that leads from County Road 2 and directly into the water just above the falls. Tire tracks could be seen where the car had entered the river. The car floated toward the crest of the falls, but became lodged on the man-made lip at the brink.
Fire and Rescue deployed a fortuna boat --- a type of inflatable canoe --- and made several attempts to reach the vehicle in the heavy current. They were able to secure a line to the car and anchor it to the pickup truck.
Unfortunately, the fortuna boat suddenly crested the falls and two firefighters were spilled into the water. They clung to a rope for several seconds before one let go and was carried to the bottom of the falls. The second firefighter was dragged up to the shore by members of the rescue team, while others ran to aid the other rescuer at the bottom.
Just after this mishap, the rear passenger side door of the car opened from within, and the first responders shouted at the car's occupant, “Stop, remain in the vehicle.”
A team of firefighters on shore closest to the car negotiated with the man and used a long pole to extend a life jacket to him, which he eventually put on. An extension ladder was placed atop the car, making a bridge of sorts to the shore. A sizeable horseshoe-shaped flotation belt, sometimes called a “life sling,” was passed to the driver and was secured on shore by several firefighters.
More firefighters and paramedics ran to assemble at the bottom of the waterfall, preparing for the possibility of the driver being carried down the falls. OPP officers on the scene hopped the fence just below the car and began tying ropes around their waists, then passed those ropes to other officers, who tied them to the fencing. They passed their equipment, phones, and gun belts to the officers on the shoreline, obviously readying themselves to take the plunge if needed.
Darkness began to descend, and another OPP officer drove his cruiser onto the grass next to the pickup to provide more lighting to the rescue scene.
Firefighters and OPP controlled the gathering crowd on both sides of the river, and after some tense moments and shouting, someone yelled, “There he goes... They got him!” Firefighters dragged the man ashore as the crowd of around 50 onlookers cheered. Paramedics loaded the man into an ambulance and left at 7:55 p.m. The whole harrowing event took just about 90 minutes.
The following day, Sunday, Mar. 23, 2025, at 10 a.m., a lone OPP officer put police tape around the area where the car still remained at the top of the falls.
Reached by email, Greater Napanee Fire Chief Shawn Armstrong confirmed on Sunday that his crew was doing well. One firefighter had been taken to hospital but was treated and released the night of the incident, Armstrong said.
The Chief noted, “We have an amazing team of responders working heroically for the Town of Greater Napanee. Right now, our main concern is ensuring that all responders have our support as we understand and unpack the details surrounding this response.”
L&A OPP also confirmed in a release early on Monday, Mar. 24, 2025, that their members attended the scene of this incident at the top of the waterfall of the Napanee River.
Constable Martyn Curran, Media Relations Officer for the L&A OPP Detachment, commented that there were 11 officers involved in some capacity due to the situation's complexity.
“The area taped off at Springside Park is not a crime scene, but police wanted to be sure that people didn’t go too close to the water for fear of endangering their safety," he said on Monday. "The information I have is that the vehicle will be removed today or tomorrow, depending on the arrival of the appropriate equipment."
Curran also confirmed, "No criminal charges were laid in connection with this incident."
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