Search called off for man who fell through ice of North Saskatchewan River trying to save dog

Emergency responders have called off the search for a man who fell through the ice of the North Saskatchewan River Tuesday afternoon while trying to rescue a dog.

According to a news release from Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, the incident happened in Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park off of Buena Vista Road.

Firefighters were dispatched for a river rescue at 12:33 p.m., after reports that a man had fallen through the ice. According to the release, a woman's dog had run onto the ice and a man who was also walking his dog went out onto the ice to help.

Witnesses kept the man in sight until emergency crews arrived. The man was carried down the river toward an ice shelf near Groat Bridge, but fire crews were unable to retrieve the man before losing sight of him.

"It is with great sadness that I confirm that the individual involved in today's river rescue has not been located and we have since called off the search. On behalf of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, our thoughts go out to the individual, their family and friends," Fire Chief Joe Zatylny said in the release. "This is a tragic reminder of the dangers of the river and that it is never safe to go onto the river ice."

The dog was rescued from the ice just before 1 p.m.

The search for the man who fell through the ice was called off just before 4 p.m.