Fort McMurray Incident Goes Viral with International Media Coverage

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — A bone-chilling incident in Fort McMurray has captured the attention of international media. Over the weekend, outlets ranging from TMZ in the United States to FHM in the United Kingdom and even Men’s Journal picked up a story and the viral video capturing a man who found himself in a perilous situation during the breathtaking cold snap earlier this month.

The viral video captures the potentially painful predicament that occurred during an altercation with RCMP outside the East Village Pub. According to the individual’s social media account of the incident, while being arrested by RCMP, his pants fell to his knees just as officers restrained him on the frosty ground. When members tried to lift him to his feet, they discovered part of his lower body was stuck frozen to the ground—a moment that elicited both shock and concern from officers and onlookers.

Many Canadians have experienced the heart-pounding fright that comes when a child gets their tongue frozen to a metal pole during Canadian cold snaps. During this event, emergency responders were called to assist the slightly more sensitive snag and they successfully freed the man without causing physical injury.

However, the viral video, shared widely across most social media platforms, has left the McMurray man’s dignity in question as his story became a topic of fascination and humour worldwide.

Fort McMurray, often associated with its oil industry, now finds itself in global headlines for an entirely different reason. From Los Angeles to London, the small incident has been covered at length, with many marvelling at the harshness of Canadian winters and the unusual predicaments the cold can create.