Sucker River woman called a true hero after saving boy from drowning

By Derek Cornet

A woman from Sucker River is being called a hero after putting herself in harm’s way to rescue a nine-year-old boy from drowning on Sunday.

Elaine Ratt was working at the local convenience store when a child ran inside and told her his friend had fallen through the ice. She immediately dropped what she was doing, called 911 and ran to the scene of the incident, which was fairly close by.

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“By the time I got there, he was already struggling staying above the water and I kept telling him to keep his head above water until somebody comes,” Ratt said.

“There were three other little ones there. They were scared for their friend, of course. I started walking on the ice because he was really struggling, and then by the time I got halfway on the ice, he started going underneath the water. The ice was starting to crack, so I started crawling towards him and then I ended up falling through close enough for me to grab him and pull him up from underneath the water.”

Ratt said she checked to see if he was breathing before she managed to push him back onto the ice. The boy then rolled towards the safety of the shoreline and Ratt carried him back to the store.

Ratt explained that the entire situation took approximately seven minutes. She said there was no time to wait for help to arrive, so she jumped into action.

“It was scary. It is one of my fears every freeze-up season. I always worry about kids checking out the ice. The ice, right now, is less than an inch thick and you can clearly see it when you are walking on the ice,” Ratt said.

“I just can’t believe it myself. You don’t really think about it in the moment when you are doing it, and it goes by so quickly.”

The child was transported to La Ronge via EMS and was in stable condition.

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said she was on her way to Stanley Mission when five RCMP vehicles passed her on the highway. She followed them into Sucker River, where she learned what happened.

“We are deeply thankful to Elaine for her quick thinking, bravery, and selflessness. We are also very grateful for the young boy who ran to the store looking for help for his friend,” Cook-Searson wrote on social media, calling Ratt a true hero.

“A heartfelt thank you as well to the local fire department, RCMP, and EMS for their swift response and support. The community is incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated individuals looking out for each other.”

Sucker River Fire Chief Maurice Ratt also thanked Elaine for her bravery on Sunday. He said she went above the call of duty before members of the fire department could arrive on scene.

“(We’d) like to remind our community members to keep an eye on their children during this time of freeze up. The ice is very (thin) and dangerous,” he noted.

“Please avoid walking on any new-formed ice along this river.”