A local restaurateur has been identified as the victim of an ATV accident on the Kennebecasis River this weekend.
Through social media, friends, family and patrons of Buckaneer’s Pub in Saint John expressed condolences for 58-year-old Pat Valardo, who co-owned the establishment with his brother.
At around 11:00 p.m. Saturday, a man called 911 saying he and another had gone into the water.
“At the time of the call, it was unsure exactly where they were,” says Shawn White, division chief of the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department.
“The 911 dispatch centre was able to track his location with GPS, so it gave us a general idea of where he was.”
Crews treated the caller for hypothermia while searching for his companion, who had not yet resurfaced.
When crews pulled Valardo from the water, he was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ted Harley, a local outdoor sports enthusiast, says the Kennebecasis River is a tricky ice surface to navigate.
“It’s a tidal river,” he says. “So it’s very important to know where you’re going.
“That’s the problem that’s happening now is we’re having a lot of new residents move into the area that aren’t familiar with how the river acts and reacts.”
At 60 years old, Harley says he’s been going out on the ice as long as he can remember.
He didn’t know Valardo personally, but given the proximity, the incident has resonated with him.
“It upsets me quite a bit,” says Harley, “because it’s totally preventable.”
Harley can often be found on the frozen river on an ATV, snowmobile, ice boat, skates or even just in his boots.
In all his years of experience, he says he hasn’t found himself in the water once.
“Most of the accidents are people travelling where they’re not familiar with,” Harley says. “You have to get familiar with your surroundings and you have to prepare yourself.”
Harley wears a flotation suit and easy-to-remove boots to prevent sinking, should he fall through the ice.
He also carries a set of icepicks around his neck.
White recommends anyone on the ice does the same.
“The quicker they are able to get out of the water, the better the outcome is going to be.”
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