The Reversing Falls jet boat is a popular tourist attraction in the Saint John area but the boat is frequently called upon to pluck people from the falls, the river and even the Bay of Fundy.
Jet boat owner Marc Gosselin says it comes with the territory but it’s not great for his business, especially if he has to cancel a jet boat tour to make a rescue.
“Of course I’m never going to be refusing to go and save a life out there,” says Gosselin.
Gosselin’s neighbour Jack Kelly says he deserves more than recognition a few times a year.
“I think it is a no-brainer,” says Kelly. “The man deserves to be compensated. I don’t mean get rich off it, he has to be compensated for his time. He’s saving lives and doing a good service.”
“We’ve seen him go out,” says zip-line operator Terry Stevens. “Anytime he gets called…he drops whatever he’s doing and does a rescue.”
The jet boat is often called out in rescue situations because it’s fast, it’s already on the water and it just happens to be located in an area where other people often get into trouble.
So far, Gosselin is getting a sympathetic ear from city hall.
“I think it’s happening a little bit more than he would like and I got to say, him leaning over the boat trying to pull someone from the water adds some risk to his life as well,” says Saint John city councillor Bill Farren.
Gosselin also says tourists get the wrong idea when his site is used as a rescue staging area.
“What kind of impression do we give to people who come here for the first time and they see emergency vehicles and flashing lights on site?” asks Gosselin. “They have no clue we’re doing a rescue, they assume an accident happened here. Let’s turn around, I don’t want my kids here.”
Gosselin has asked city authorities to look at compensation and other issues, knowing that water rescues will continue to be a sideline he didn’t sign up for, but one he also can’t refuse.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
