Five of the seven dragon boats that went missing after the Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club's dock was torn away by the raging North Saskatchewan River have been located downstream, about an hour's drive northeast of Edmonton. The club is now working to recover the remaining two boats and the dock pieces.
Dock and boats swept away
Late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, the club's dock—chained to anchors on the shore near the Dawson Park clubhouse—was ripped away by the swollen river, taking seven dragon boats, the dock, and the ramp with it. Club vice-president Troy McLeod said the boats are worth tens of thousands of dollars.
On Tuesday, the club issued an alert asking the public to report sightings of the boats upstream. That night, efforts were made to secure the five boats that had been found, and McLeod was up until three a.m. coordinating the recovery.
Recovery efforts and damages
Because the boats were recovered overnight, the club is still assessing damages. McLeod noted that one boat had a hole in it. “We’re hoping today we’ll somehow find and recover the other two, and the dock pieces,” McLeod said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, those are still floating the river. We have to locate those. It’s a bit of a process.”
Finding the boats is only part of the challenge; the club also needs a place to moor them. Since the dock was destroyed, plans to rebuild are already underway. “Essentially, we have a group trying to look at rebuilding the dock,” said McLeod. “In case we don’t find all the pieces, we’re going to have to figure out another plan. Now we have boats and hopefully they’re in decent enough condition to get in the water. The dock would be awesome, so we’ve got two things going on at once.”
Public assistance sought
McLeod expressed gratitude for the public’s support in tracking down the missing boats. Anyone downstream of the club’s site near the Dawson Bridge can contact info@edbrc.club if they spot the two missing boats or dock pieces.
The incident follows heavy rain that prompted Epcor to continue warnings, urging people to stay away from the river and storm ponds. The club's loss highlights the power of the river after the recent deluge.
