Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.
Keanna Deslauriers said her eight-year-old daughter Nevaeh was playing at a school playground on Sunday afternoon in the small town southeast of Winnipeg.
While playing, she climbed up into part of the structure and got stuck.
"I guess Nevaeh wiggled on in there to the point where she was a little pretzel," said Deslauriers.
She said she tried to help her daughter, but to no avail.
The fire department was called and first on scene was RM of Tache Fire Chief Allan Rau.
"It was a drum-type play structure, a hard plastic unit, and she got herself wedged up in the top part of the drum. I tried to before the rest of the crew arrived, I tried to assist her in getting out, but that was not happening," said Rau.
He said Nevaeh climbed to the highest point of the drum – which was a bit wider than the entrance – but once she tried to get out, she couldn't move.
"She brought her legs both up and one was really high by her head, and she just could not get herself out anymore. She sunk a little bit once she got up there and (was) unable to free herself."
Once the rest of the crew arrived, they got to work cutting and pulling apart the plastic, eventually freeing Nevaeh.
"She was scared of what was going on, and then, of course, when we started up our little reciprocating saw to make a relief cut, that scared her even more. We tried to keep her calm, we gave her a little teddy bear, which we hold in our trucks for whenever we're involved with any children," Rau said.
Nevaeh holding the little teddy bear she was given by the Tache Fire Department while they worked free her from the playground on April 14, 2024. (Keanna Deslauriers)
After about 15 minutes of being stuck, Rau said Nevaeh was freed and unharmed.
The fire chief said calls like this are uncommon, but a couple of years ago, they dealt with a similar incident where a girl was stuck in a baby swing and had to be cut out.
Deslauriers said she was so thankful for how fast crews worked to free Nevaeh.
"I honestly couldn't ask for a better team," said Deslauriers. "They knew right away what they had to do. There was no standing around, there wasn't any talking about it. They knew exactly what to do."
Deslauriers noted Nevaeh, more than anything, was embarrassed by the situation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.