Close X
Thursday, October 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

One dead, another missing after Vancouver Island road washout

Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Oct, 2024 01:13 PM
  • One dead, another missing after Vancouver Island road washout
 

Police on the west coast of Vancouver Island say one person has been found dead and another is missing after a road washout near Bamfield. 

RCMP in Port Alberni say a truck was found fully submerged in the Sarita River Saturday night after a "washout," and the body of the driver was later found nearby.

The Mounties say a second vehicle has also been found in the river, and it's believed the other missing person is inside, while search and rescue personnel are waiting for an opportunity to conduct a swift-water recovery.

They say one of the drivers was travelling from Bamfield to Victoria and the other was driving from Port Alberni to Bamfield, and both were reported missing Saturday evening when they failed to arrive at their destinations.

The death comes after police in Coquitlam say a 57-year-old woman was found dead Sunday when her home was swept away in a mudslide caused by record-setting rain that drenched British Columbia's south coast over the weekend.

Coquitlam RCMP say officers responded to the slide near Pinecone Burke Provincial Park midday on Saturday, and found one home had been "swept away."

On Vancouver Island, RCMP say they used cellphone towers to locate one of the missing drivers within a three kilometre radius of the 58-kilometre mark of Bamfield Road.

A helicopter was deployed, along with Alberni Valley Search and Rescue, but it was a family member of the missing driver who spotted the truck just before 9 p.m.

RCMP say the darkness and fast-flowing water prevented emergency personnel from confirming whether the vehicle was occupied, and the body of the missing driver was later found a short distance away.

Environment Canada figures show Coquitlam was among the hardest hit by the rain over the weekend, receiving 256 millimetres between Friday and Sunday night.

RCMP say they have notified the family of the mudslide victim, but would not provide more details about the slide and its "deeply tragic" outcome.

MORE National ARTICLES

Parks Canada, Guilbeault defend wildfire preparation policies after Jasper blaze

Parks Canada, Guilbeault defend wildfire preparation policies after Jasper blaze
Parks Canada officials and politicians angrily denied Monday that forest management policies in Jasper National Park contributed to a catastrophic wildfire that damaged one-third of the townsite. Ron Hallman, CEO of the federal agency, said it was "ridiculous" to assert his organization puts a higher value on nature than people.

Parks Canada, Guilbeault defend wildfire preparation policies after Jasper blaze

Internal federal public service report details racism in the Privy Council Office

Internal federal public service report details racism in the Privy Council Office
The Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination obtained the report using the Access to Information Act. It details barriers for employees of colour at the Privy Council Office, the administrative arm of government that serves the Prime Minister's Office and cabinet. The conclusions were based on group discussions and interviews with employees in 2021 and 2022.

Internal federal public service report details racism in the Privy Council Office

WestJet, Air North announce deal for single-ticket travel involving both airlines

WestJet, Air North announce deal for single-ticket travel involving both airlines
WestJet and Whitehorse-based Air North have announced a new agreement that will allow single-ticket travel across both airlines' networks. A statement from WestJet says the new "interline agreement" allows passengers to book a single ticket with a connected itinerary between WestJet's network and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

WestJet, Air North announce deal for single-ticket travel involving both airlines

Woman rescued off B.C. glacier calls those who braved smoky conditions 'superheroes'

Woman rescued off B.C. glacier calls those who braved smoky conditions 'superheroes'
Mark Jennings-Bates, with the Kaslo Search and Rescue, says a skilled helicopter pilot was able to navigate the winds and thick smoke to rescue the hikers from the side of an alpine lake. He says the four were well prepared and used an iPhone's emergency SOS feature to provide rescuers with their precise location.

Woman rescued off B.C. glacier calls those who braved smoky conditions 'superheroes'

2 die in Merritt plane crash

2 die in Merritt plane crash
Police say a pilot and passenger are dead after an amateur-built plane crashed about two kilometres north of the Merritt airport last night.  R-C-M-P describe the two-seat aircraft as being "homebuilt" and "amphibious."

2 die in Merritt plane crash

Senior dies in motorcycle crash

Senior dies in motorcycle crash
A 71-year-old man is dead after a motorcycle crash in Twin Bays. R-C-M-P say it happened on Saturday on Highway 3-A.

Senior dies in motorcycle crash