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Dive crews search river for body of Saskatoon woman

Mar 16, 2011 | 3:47 PM

Dive crews are in the water in Saskatoon looking for the remains of a woman who leapt from the University Bridge Tuesday night.

Police explain the woman jumped at around 7:00 p.m. A boat and police plane scoured the river until it became too dark to continue the search.

“These things are always sad situations to be dealing with,” said Acting Fire Chief Dan Paulsen.

Wednesday's recovery effort started where Tuesday's search left off. The body was reportedly spotted around 8:30 a.m. near the Mendal Art Gallery. Paulsen says conditions can be extremely taxing on those working on the recovery effort, especially the divers in the water.

“Current flows are, because of spring runoff, are running at higher levels,” said Paulsen.

A further concern is the large, random pieces of jagged ice flowing dangerously nearby. The water temperature is sitting right around zero degrees Celsius and visibility underwater is close to zero.

Paulsen says, for now, divers are working in an area between the Weir and the Mendal Art Gallery, but the recovery area may still be extend beyond that.

“Those are decisions we'll have to make once we get to that point,” said Paulsen.

news@panow.com