Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Three people had to be rescued from the Thames River over the last two days as high water levels continue to create dangerous conditions along the banks.
London Fire responded to two separate incidents, including one Monday morning near Richmond Street just south of Grey Street, where crews rescued a man in distress near the riverbank.
The day before, two boys were found stranded on a small island in the river near Highbury Avenue and Fanshawe Park Road.
“It’s just a stark reminder that even if you were out in recreation activities in our area, that the water is very fast moving, very unforgiving, and that the trails are very slippery around that area,” Platoon Chief Colin Shewell said.
Emergency crews respond near Richmond Street just south of Grey Street in London on Monday after a man was reported in distress near the Thames River. (London Fire Department)
The rescues come as the Thames River crested the banks in London after rain and snow rapidly melted this past weekend.
Rivers all across Ontario were causing flooding, and in one instance near Owen Sound, people were stranded after ice broke away on Georgian Bay.
“The ground beneath you could give out, and within seconds, you could be in that water,” Shewell said.
He explains that fire crews used ropes to pull the man to safety Monday around 9 a.m. after he got stuck on a concrete structure on the bank of the river and was unable to get back up the steep and slippery embankment.
The boys who were rescued Sunday were also unharmed.
Spring thaw
“The Thames was really quite high through London,” Upper Thames River Conservation Authority spokesperson Eleanor Heagy said. “With all the rain that we had last week, warm weather and lots and lots of snow melting upstream of London, the river was getting quite high”
Heagy says the technical term for the current situation is a freshet. It happens when accumulated snow across the watershed melts rapidly and flows into rivers and streams, often combined with rainfall.
High water from the Thames River floods a pathway near Ridout Street North in London on Sunday as river levels rose following rain and snowmelt. (James Ross)
“We went from a lot of snow in the watershed of the Upper Thames to pretty much no snow left,” Heagy said.
The North Thames River peaked Saturday evening in London, while the South Thames, which flows in from the Woodstock area, peaked early Sunday morning.
Heagy explained that as the river flows toward London, it collects water from creeks and tributaries across the watershed, meaning the highest flows are typically seen near the forks of the Thames.
Even though those peaks have now passed through the city, the river is expected to remain high for several days.
Water crested the banks at the Forks of the Thames on Saturday. This was the view of the river on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Josiane N’Tchoreret Mbiamany / CBC News)
Heagy and Shewell both urge people to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas and to keep children and pets away from the water.
“Even on a beautiful, sunny day like today, it’s important to stay well away from flooded waterways and always stay out of flooded areas,” Heagy said.
Emergency crews say many incidents near rivers can be avoided with basic precautions.
“A lot of these water rescues are preventable,” Shewell said. “If people would just keep an eye around their surroundings and be safe.”