Winnipeg Woman’s Courage Helps Save Child and Father from Red River
A frightening moment at Winnipeg’s St. John’s Park ended with a child and her father safely rescued, thanks to the quick thinking and compassion of a woman who happened to be nearby.
Jayclyn Morrissette, 32, was walking with her neighbour in the North End park on the evening of Aug. 24 when they paused near a bench overlooking the Red River. Morrissette soon “noticed a little girl flailing in the water.”
While her neighbour alerted the child’s parents, who had been urgently searching for the toddler, Morrissette hurried toward the riverbank.
“I got down to the edge when the father had jumped in, and it took about 10 seconds before I realized he was not coming back up. So I … emptied my pockets and jumped in.”
Morrissette initially focused on rescuing the father. The effort was challenging, but teamwork made the difference: her neighbour held onto Morrissette as she supported the man, allowing them to bring him safely out of the river.
Morrissette then returned to the water for the child. According to Winnipeg police, she placed the unconscious girl on her chest and swam backward toward shore.
“When I pulled her out, she was lifeless,” Morrissette said. “As I was swimming back, I was also pumping her stomach.”
Once they reached land, Morrissette and her neighbour performed CPR until emergency crews arrived. Morrissette had learned the lifesaving technique more than a decade earlier.
The girl was transported to hospital in critical condition and later stabilized. Police said she is expected to make a full recovery.
Although the rescue had a hopeful outcome, Morrissette said the experience took a physical and emotional toll.
“Her eyes were open and her tongue was purple, so that's all I could see every time I closed my eyes,” she said. “I didn't sleep for a couple of days.”
After the adrenaline subsided, Morrissette also noticed injuries to her neck and shoulder. She has been managing the pain with medication and may undergo testing if her condition does not improve.
Winnipeg police praised the rescuer for showing “remarkable courage and selflessness” while helping two strangers without putting her own well-being first.
Morrissette, however, remains humble about her extraordinary actions.
“I'm just a mom,” she said. “I don't feel like a hero.”
She believes another person would have responded in the same way, but she is thankful she was in the right place when the family needed help.
“I'm glad I was there. They're lucky I was there. I wish it just never happened,” she said.
Morrissette hopes the incident will encourage families to remain especially careful around rivers and other bodies of water.
“Be safe. Watch your kids at all times. It only takes a second.”
