Military helicopter rescues man from Toronto creek

A man had to be airlifted to safety after being stranded on a "small island" in Etobicoke Creek Tuesday afternoon.

Several emergency services were called to the creek near Sherway Drive shortly after 5:30 p.m. for a rescue.

"We had a gentleman stranded in the middle of the Etobicoke River stranded on a small island. We had a lot of flooding today, and we had high-flowing waves going through the river," Toronto Fire District Chief Tony Rowe said.

When they realized they could not rescue the man safely, Rowe said Toronto Fire called the Canadian Armed Forces in Trenton.

"Today, it was decided that we, the firefighters, wouldn't safely bring this person to safety, and it was a great job by the Army coming in with their helicopter," he said.

"They brought their rescuer down, made contact with the person stranded and brought him up and brought him over to Peel EMS to be assessed."

A Royal Canadian Air Force Search and Rescue helicopter crew lands after rescuing a man from a river following heavy rain in Toronto on Tuesday July 16, 2024. Torrential rain that pummelled Toronto flooded a major highway, several thoroughfares and a key transit hub on Tuesday – requiring emergency crews to rescue people from stranded cars and other spaces – while large parts of the city were left without power. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

There is no word on his condition. It is unknown how the man got stranded on the island.

The man was just one of several people who had to be rescued after heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in Toronto.

According to Toronto Fire, on Tuesday, they rescued 20 people from cars and buildings, including a dozen who were stranded on the Don Valley Parkway.

Toronto Fire added that crews responded to almost 500 incidents between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., including elevator rescue and water calls.