U of S : Communications : OCN : Oct 3, 1997

U of S security officer executes heroic river rescue

When U of S Security Services Constable Peter Stanley first heard the call over his radio to "be on the look-out for a guy in pajamas," he didn't expect that an hour later he'd be credited with saving the man's life. But that's exactly what happened on the morning of Thursday, September 18, when he pulled an escaped Royal University Hospital patient out of the South Saskatchewan River.

Stanley, a 15-year veteran of campus security, was in the Education Building when he was alerted that the man had been spotted on the Meewasin Trail and was headed toward the CPR train bridge. Luckily, Stanley was on bicycle patrol, and was able to travel cross-country to the foot of the bridge within minutes.

Just after arriving, Stanley was told by radio that the man was traveling on the lower trail, just above the riverbank. In an effort to intercept him, Stanley went down a road by the weir, then started heading along the trail toward the hospital.

"I knew he hadn't already gotten by, because the trail was muddy and there were no tracks," Stanley says. "Then all of a sudden he came around a corner, saw me, and bolted for the river."

By the time Stanley got to the edge of the water, the man was splashing around about 30 feet off shore - and about 300 feet upstream from the weir. Stanley peeled off his jacket, removed his two-way radio, swam out to the man, and was able to safely bring him back to shallow water.

"By that point, he was exhausted," Stanley says. "He'd been running and hiding for an hour, and for the last while he'd been running hard."

Stanley stayed with the man until other constables arrived with blankets and escorted him back to the hospital.

Although Stanley modestly maintains the rescue was a minor incident, Security Services director Gion Bezzola disagrees.

"Peter put himself at great personal risk and saved the man's life. Bravery awards are given for this sort of behavior."

When told of Bezzola's comments, Stanley smiles. "It's really not a big deal. All I did was go for a swim," he laughs.

- Keith Patrick Moen


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