The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police
 is proud to present

Constable Anthony MacKinnon
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

With the

Excellence in Performance Award

On May 8th, 2009 at approximately 1330 hours the members of the Kamsack RCMP Detachment responded to a 911 emergency call from a woman who was travelling with her 2 year old baby. She stated that she was driving across the Keeseekoose River at a low level bridge crossing when her van stalled. The river was rising and she was afraid that they would soon be swept away.     

Members attended the scene and noted a minivan stalled in the middle of the bridge. The water was already 2 feet deep, steadily rising, and was flowing extremely fast. It was recalled that a similar occurrence had caused a drowning death years before on the very same bridge when a vehicle had been swept away in the spring runoff.

Cst. MacKinnon tied a rope to the police truck and himself and waded out into the fast flowing water. He was able to first calm the mother and bring her baby back to safety. He waded back into the water and rescued the woman. The stalled vehicle was subsequently secured and finally removed from the river.

Due to Cst. MacKinnon’s quick actions, a potentially fatal occurrence was avoided as the van and its occupants would have inevitably been swept over the edge and into the deep water.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________                                                     
Chief  Dale McFee
President, Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police