Emergency crews pulled off a tricky rescue along the Thames River on Saturday afternoon, extracting someone in medical distress from the steep riverbank near Richmond and Ridout.

The London Fire Department got the call around 1:58 p.m. on March 22. Initially, they sent a full water rescue team, but the situation changed when they learned the person wasn’t in the water—they were near the shoreline but in serious medical trouble.

That meant switching to a technical high-angle rescue. Fire crews had to package the patient and haul them up the riverbank using specialized gear.

The operation involved London Fire, Middlesex-London Paramedics, and London Police working together to get the person out safely.

The rescue shut down Ridout Street south of Horton Street for a bit while crews worked. Traffic was back to normal once they got the patient out.

The person was taken to hospital. The fire department’s report didn’t include any update on their condition.

If you’ve got steep riverbanks in your neighbourhood, now’s a good reminder to stay clear of the edges—especially as the weather warms up and more people head to the water.