A newlywed couple’s evening of rollerblading turned into a rescue effort when the pair tried to pull a young man from Lake Ontario.
Brantford Police Det. const. Christine McCallum and her husband, OPP Const. James Gallant, have been recognized for their off-duty heroics on Sept. 3, 2020, at Van Wagner’s Beach in Hamilton. At about 7 pm that day, the couple noticed people yelling and looking out toward the choppy water.
“I asked what was going on,” said McCallum, who is with the city police child abuse and sex assault unit.
Told that a young man had not resurfaced after entering the water, McCallum instructed bystanders to ensure police had been called and she and Gallant went into the lake.
“We had to swim out pretty far,” she said. “There was a witness trying to direct us about where the guy had disappeared.”
McCallum and Gallant are well-equipped for such rescue work: She has lifeguard training and he has been a certified advanced scuba diver for about 25 years.
“When we first hit the water, it was a shock as to how cold it was,” said Gallant. “Once we were in for a bit, our adrenalin kicked in and I really didn’t feel the cold.
“My only thoughts were to find the boy that was in the water.”
The couple spent about 30 minutes unsuccessfully trying to locate the 21-year-old victim, who had been trying to recover a basketball. But a police marine unit soon arrived and used sonar to locate the man.
Diving 10 to 12 feet, Gallant was able to locate the man and raise him to the surface. McCallum helped get him to shore.
He was taken to Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital, where he died the next day.
“That was hard,” McCallum said of the man’s death. “But the family was grateful he was found.”
In all, the two officers spent about 45 minutes in the 64 F water. Once out, they were brought towels by bystanders and wrapped in blankets by paramedics.
Last week, McCallum and Gallant were honored with an OPP Commissioner’s Citation for Lifesaving. They received special pins for their uniforms, recognizing their lifesaving efforts and willingness to risk their own lives.
“It was very humble,” said McCallum, noting it feels special to be honored with her husband.
“You just hope that someone would do that for you if you needed it one day.”
@EXPSGamble