Bystander rescues two people who were swept away on inflatable raft near Delta Beach

A bystander is being credited with rescuing two swimmers who were being swept away from Delta Beach near Portage La Prairie on Wednesday afternoon, Manitoba RCMP say.

A woman who was on an inflatable raft called 911just after 5 p.m. to sayher two friends were trying to swim to shore, RCMP said in a news release on Thursday.

Officers from the Portage la Prairie detachmentresponded immediatelywith a police boat.

When they arrived, police discovered that a bystander, a 52-year-old woman, had swum out to one of the women and brought her back to shore.

The bystander then went back out for the second woman and remained with her in the water until the police boat arrived.

"The RCMP would like to recognize the incredible efforts of the bystander who assisted in the rescue," the release said.

The police boat picked up both swimmers, and then rescued the woman who had remained on the inflatable raft.

Police said the second woman who was rescued from the water was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Delta Beach is about 90 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, on the southernmost tip of Lake Manitoba.