A North Vancouver woman says firefighters saved her after she was swept into a fast-moving creek while trying to fix water lines during Friday’s storm.
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Brittany Craig of the Woodlands community, north of Deep Cove, said she was swept into a fast-moving creek after lifting a rock that suddenly released water while she was attempting to fix a line bringing water from a nearby creek into her home on Friday.
Craig described the moment as sudden and disorienting, saying it was “like out of a movie, when you see people go in a creek or river, and they go under, and then their head comes up for a second.”
According to Craig, she was able to grab onto a log in the middle of the creek, but was then pushed against a sheer bank with nowhere else to go. She said she managed to call 911 on her cellphone before the battery was nearly out.
Craig said she was eventually stranded on the log, where she began waving a red hooded sweatshirt and screaming for help when firefighters arrived and threw her a life-jacket and supplies to keep her warm.
Dennis Cappellini, assistant fire chief for District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, said crews were called at about 12:47 p.m. for a water rescue. He said when the team arrived, the creek had turned into a fast-moving river due to heavy rainfall.
Cappellini said firefighters lowered a rescuer down on a rope, attached Craig, and hauled her out of the creek onto a trail. He added that a tree fell next to crew members during the rescue, calling it “a pretty treacherous rescue, but all in all, it went very well.”
Craig said she is “overwhelmed with gratitude” for the rescuers, telling the publication, “If they didn't come here, I don't think I would have been alive.” She later posted online that she owes her life to the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue crew and said, “The power of these creeks right now is no joke; what looks manageable on the surface will take your feet right out from under you.”
The rescue happened amid widespread storm impacts across B.C., including power outages. BC Hydro said about 80,000 customers were without electricity at the peak of Friday’s storm, with more than 190,000 customers experiencing an outage since the storm began; it also reported about 30,000 customers remained without power as of Saturday afternoon.
Environment Canada issued warnings for parts of the province, while B.C.’s River Forecast Centre said waterways were rising rapidly and flows in parts of northern and western Vancouver Island reached two- to five-year return levels on Friday. The forecast centre said a second bout of rain would arrive later Saturday into Sunday, with the heaviest downpours expected on Vancouver Island and in the Sea to Sky and Howe Sound areas, along with the North Shore mountains.
In Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island, the Strathcona Regional District said 22 properties remained under evacuation order after Friday’s heavy rain and flooding led to a landslide risk. The district said a geotechnical engineer completed an initial assessment and it was awaiting the formal report.
Cappellini said water conditions can change unexpectedly after heavy rain or when streamflow advisories are in place, adding that “the currents are strong,” and cautioning people to be careful with pets as they would with children and other loved ones.
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