Whitewater rafting company in Ottawa Valley cleaning up after possible microburst

Esprit Rafting is cleaning up and checking its river routes for damage after a severe thunderstorm and potential microburst hit the area just east of Pembroke.

Rafting company CEO Jim Coffey tells CityNews Ottawa and the Valley, the damage following Tuesday's storm is a bit more than normal, but not unlike other severe weather events of the past.

“This one happened to happen one spot where we do our white water rafting,” he explains. “[We've considered] the idea that perhaps it was twisting like a tornado would, but we're not dealing with mass destruction and devastation.”

His concern is mainly that downed trees dropped in the water could lurk just below the surface and pose a danger for rafters.

“[The storm is] known to have done some damage to a particular island near one of the rapids called McCoy Shoots, called Cedar Island. We've already sent a scouting crew of kayakers out on the river to assess some of the damage where we do our rafting.”

Environment Canada has not yet confirmed that there was a tornado, downburst or microburst in the Ottawa Valley on Tuesday, July 13.