North Vancouver woman rescued after falling into 10-foot waterfall while trying to repair water line

The Story

A woman in North Vancouver was rescued Friday by the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services after being swept down a rushing waterfall.

The woman, Brittany Craig, had made an attempt to repair a water line running to her property from a nearby creek in the Woodlands area, about four kilometres northeast of Deep Cove. She said she lifted a heavy rock to keep the water line in place underwater, but the rock was dragged into the 10-foot waterfall, taking her with it.

Craig said the water was “super high and it was really powerful.” She reported repeatedly going underwater while trying to breathe, and noted she was missing a shoe after the fall.

Craig said she pulled herself out of the water and onto a log just before 1 p.m. PCT, then stayed there for about 10 to 20 minutes before moving to more stable ground across the stream. She said the terrain and the high water level made it impossible to get back to the trail, and she contacted authorities after waiting roughly 20 to 40 minutes for their arrival.

During the rescue, Craig said DNVFRS personnel sent down a hypothermia bag, an emergency blanket, and heat packs, then attached her to a harness and lifted her back onto the trail. She received ambulance care before being discharged around 3 p.m. PCT.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a yellow rainfall warning on Friday for parts of B.C., including the North Shore, with the possibility of up to 80 millimetres of total rainfall. Craig said the experience left her scared, but she ultimately felt “really lucky.”