Rich Rogers says his emergency response training helped him triage victims after a shuttle bus crash injured 20 people near Mackenzie.
The Story
Rich Rogers, a resident of Mackenzie, B.C., said his emergency training kicked in after a shuttle bus ran off Highway 39 and flipped on its side, injuring 20 people about four kilometres south of the community on Wednesday.
Rogers was driving down the highway with his wife and their 11-year-old son when he saw the bus veer off the road and roll onto its side, prompting him to rush to assess and triage the injured while his wife called emergency services.
A former firefighter, Rogers said he found one person ejected from the bus who did not appear to be breathing, while three others were unconscious aboard the vehicle.
He said he stayed to help clean up debris from the road and later caught a ride back into town with the local fire department.
Rogers said he does not see himself as a hero, and that while the crash has brought up difficult emotions, he hopes his actions help the passengers recover.
Northern Health reported on Thursday that 15 of the 20 people assessed and treated in its facilities after the crash had since been discharged.
The crash took place in a remote area of northern B.C., roughly 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, and triggered Code Orange mass-casualty declarations at two hospitals.
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