End of an Era, a New Beginning
Grade 12 students from Holy Trinity Academy celebrate their graduation at the school’s 2007 grad ceremony last Friday in Calgary. Watch for the Western Wheel’s Grad 2007 special section in next week’s issue.
photo by Pamela Keith |
Man drowns in Highwood River on Canada Day
By Blair Braitenbach
Staff reporter
A 28-year-old Edmonton man was pronounced dead at Calgary’s Foothills Hospital after drowning in the Highwood River Sunday evening.
According to Jeff Morris, operations superintendent for Foothills Regional EMS (FREMS), the man was participating in some cliff diving activities with friends and family at Nature’s Hideaway, a campground area east of Okotoks.
Although cliff diving can pose serious dangers, Morris said it is not suspected the man’s death was from a direct result of diving.
“He was actually in the water fine at the time with his friends, and all of a sudden his friends heard him cry for help,” Morris said. “It was not a traumatic dive incident whatsoever.”
According to a FREMS news release, FREMS and the Okotoks Fire Department responded to the incident at approximately 6:30 p.m. at which time they retrieved the male with assistance from the Calgary Fire Department dive team from a depth of about 10 feet.
The victim was submerged no less than 30 minutes. However, Morris explained that all Alberta waters are considered cold water rescues which gives potential drowning victims a higher survival rate than warm water rescues.
“Even though it was a poor prognosis outcome, (doctors) were hoping for a little added time for the gentleman,” Morris said.
With assistance from the Calgary Fire Department dive team, the man was brought to the surface into an Okotoks Fire Department boat where CPR was immediately administered, the news release stated. Once brought to shore the man was given advanced life support by FREMS paramedics and then transported to Foothills Hospital by S.T.A.R.S.
The man was officially pronounced dead when arriving at Foothills Hospital, despite the efforts of the rescue team.
Morris said people should be cautious in and around the Highwood River right now as the water is at a high level and is fast flowing. He said when heading out to any water areas make sure to know the water conditions, wear proper flotation devices, and stay within a group of people especially in waters with a strong current.
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Grow op gets
raided
By Pamela Keith
Staff reporter
A barn containing more than 1,000 marijuana plants was discovered on a farm east of Okotoks last Tuesday after the Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team (SAMIT) executed a search warrant on two neighbouring rural properties.
A total of 1,149 plants, valued at approximately $1.4 million, were found on the first property, belonging to a 78-year-old man, while a kilogram of bud marijuana that had been harvested from the plants was found inside the home of a second nearby farm. According to police, the operation was a three-stage dirt grow operation that contained starter plants, mature plants and marijuana bud.
SAMIT team leader Monty Sparrow was at the scene during the drug bust and said the barn contained seven small rooms that each contained a large amount of marijuana plants.
A stolen generator that was being used to power the grow operation was also seized.
Each year SAMIT discovers between 120 and 150 grow operations throughout the City of Calgary. As police become more diligent about such drug operations in the city, Sparrow expects more criminals will turn to rural locations to grow and harvest their crops.
“You’ll start to see more of them go outside of the city,” said Sparrow, who noted that all it takes is one person to tip off police about a possible grow operation in a rural setting. “If you are out in the middle of nowhere, you can potentially grow marijuana and have less risk of somebody recognizing the signs of a grow.”
Shirley Chan, 36, and Peter Besselink, 78, of Okotoks have been charged with production of marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of stolen property.
The pair made their first appearance in court last week and is scheduled to appear back in Okotoks Provincial Court Aug. 2.
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In this issue...
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Poetry and Music
Doris Daley, left, and Eli Barsi, right, will be performing together in a show filled with cowboy poetry and music.
• See Entertainment
Hot Dawgs Cool Off
Okotoks loses three straight after
14-game win streak
• See Sports
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