BREAKING NEWS: Man rescued from his overturned SUV in creek outside Christina Lake
By Erin Perkins
UPDATE: Police looking to thank people who saved man’s life
Grand Forks RCMP and the Christina Lake Fire Rescue Department are looking for the people responsible for saving the man who’s car wound up in the creek outside Christina Lake over the weekend.
The 39 year-old Burnaby man who was pulled from the wreckage of his upside down vehicle by witnesses, was taken from the accident scene to the Boundary Hospital on Saturday April 20 were he was kept overnight for observation and then later released, said Grand Forks RCMP staff sergeant Jim Harrison.
The accident appears to be just that, an accident. Harrison believes the man may have taken the corner too quickly and lost control of his vehicle.
“As his car was filling up with water the man took his last breath, hoping someone would find him before passing out,” said Harrison, adding the man was trapped in his vehicle upside down in the icy rushing water for nearly five minutes.
Thankfully several people stopped to help. There was one young man from Nelson and another unidentified man who jumped in, cut the seatbelt off the man in the car, dragged him out while a third person began performing CPR until the Christina Lake Fire Rescue Department and the RCMP could arrive on scene.
“If it was not for those people he would have died — he is a lucky man,” said Harrison.
“The two people who went into the water are heros — that guy would have been dead if they hadn’t been willing to put themselves in harms way,” said Christina Lake Fire Rescue Department fire chief Ken Gresley-Jones.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A man is lucky to be alive after his black SUV left Highway 3 and landed upside down in a creek off Highway 3 at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
The Christina Lake Fire Rescue Department and BC Ambulance service were called out to the scene, which was located about 15 kilometers east of Christina Lake.
After the man’s vehicle left the road for yet to be known reasons, it rolled down the 20 foot embankment and landed upside down in the icy and swelled waters of a nearby creek.
According to witnesses, he was trapped inside until two young men travelling west-bound in a silver car saw the accident and leapt down the bank and into the water to pull him out of the vehicle just as the Christina Lake Fire Rescue team and the BC Ambulance service arrived to help.
RCMP Traffic Services were also on scene interviewing witnesses and keeping other vehicle and people away from the scene.
East-bound traffic was held up as the team worked to bring the man to safety. It is unknown what his condition is at this time. Crews continue to clean up the debris left behind by the accident with the help of the Grand Forks Fire Rescue team.
There appeared to be only one person in the vehicle at the time. The man appeared to be in his late 20s or 30s.
This story will be updated as we have more information.
