Photo: CTV

Only four out of the 17 candidates successfully completed the obstacle course on the second day.

On the first day hopeful SWAT candidates completed a shooting exercise, exposure to tear gas and 45 minutes of treading water in a pool fully clothed while hauling heavy equipment.

Strapped into a 45-pound vest, the participants climbed over logs, hills, and jumped through windows. They drew their weapons, navigated a drain pipe and dragged a full-weight dummy.  

Only four out of the 17 candidates successfully completed the obstacle course on the second day.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s a hell of a day they went through yesterday,” police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Voutsinos said.

“It’s to determine mental strength, team work, perseverance,” SWAT team member Eric Audet said.

To make the competition even more difficult, the candidates are kept awake for 22 hours on each day of the tryouts. 

“The reaction to any scenario is an instinct, so either they have it or they don’t,” Voutsinos said.

The four applicants that passed the second day of tryouts will attend a five-week training course where only one of them will graduate and become a member of the SWAT team. The other three will be placed on a five-year waiting list.

- with files from CTV