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Squirrel faced choice of rapids or trusting a new friend continued from p.1 ing videos. In August, the 22-year-old had taken a few weeks off to nurse an injury. On his first day back, Paterson set out on his own, event though he usually has others with him to assist with filming. The GoPro was also an unusual addition. "I usually don't like wearing them," he said. "They make my helmet a little too heavy but I'm trying to get used to them to capture a little more." While he's usually pushing the boundaries of his extreme sport, Paterson was "taking a chill day. It was just a relief being back on the river." He had been out for about two hours when he spotted the squirrel on a rock. It's not unusual for Paterson to see animals on the shore, but this little creature found itself in a predicament. "He was in the middle of a rapid and he clearly wasn't very happy about it," Paterson said. Paterson swam over, and propped his board up against the rock, hoping the squirrel would jump on. Though the video is edited down to less than two minutes, Paterson said he spent about 15 minutes with the squirrel, trying various ways to coax it onto his board. "I just wanted him to get comfortable with me. I love hanging out with animals," he said. "I was hoping he would realize what I was trying to do, but he was a bit too stressed." And eventually, the anxious squirrel decided on another escape route. It tried to jump onto another rock that had water rushing over it. It clung to the rock for a few seconds before being swept into a small whirlpool between the two rocks. Paterson reached in and after 10 seconds, managed to grab the squirrel and put it on his board. "It actually worked out because he had other things to worry about other than biting me," he said. The drenched rodent finally realized the board was his best option. It sat on 25 | Thursday, November 20, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Oakville native Tom Paterson is a riverboarder who frequents the Ottawa River. In August, he was again on the river when he came upon a red squirrel stranded on a rock in the rapids. While wildlife is not unusual near the river, the squirrel had landed in a jackpot of trouble. Paterson, an animal-lover, set out to rescue his new furry friend and captured the adventure on the GoPro camera he had strapped to his helmet. The video was later posted and has been picked up by media outlets around the world. | photos courtesy of Tom Paterson I just wanted him to get comfortable with me. I love hanging out with animals. I was hoping he would realize what I was trying to do, but he was a bit too stressed... It actually worked out because he had other things to worry about other than biting me. Tom Paterson Oakville footage from that day. "I'm glad people liked it," he said. "I think we should be as kind as possible to animals and it's good to see people respond to it." This isn't the first time Paterson has come to the aid of an animal in a dangerous situation. In high school at T.A. Blakelock, Paterson was a member of the cross-country team. He was in second place at the Golden Horseshoe championships when he ran past a painted turtle on a concrete bridge. Realizing there was a large pack of runners coming behind him that might trample it, Paterson turned around and carried the turtle to safety before rejoining the race. "They just always seem to find me," he said. And for that, the animals are thankful. To see more photos and the video, visit www.oakvillebeaver.com. BEST SUSHI, SASHIMI & RAMEN NOODLE MUST TRY! JAPANESE RESTAURANT the board, looking into the water as Paterson swam to shore. Once there, Paterson pushed his board up to a rock and the squirrel jumped off and scurried to safety. Paterson originally posted clips of the rescue amongst a highlight reel of his tricks on YouTube, but then he began receiving media requests for more Mye Japanese Restaurant 143 Church St. Oakville 905.849.8989 (Closed Mon) RANDALL ST Mye 2 Japanese Restaurant 360 Dundas St E. Oakville 905.257.7747 (Closed Wed) CHURCH ST 27 CE L EB RATI NG Braised Pork Belly Ramen (available only at Mye2) Years MYERESTAURANT.CA NOW OPEN! KEEP WINTER OUT AND SAVINGS IN. Union Gas gives you easy ways to save hundreds of dollars in energy costs. See inside today's paper. NAVY ST