A car left Schubert Drive in Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday evening and plunged into the fast-moving North Thompson River with two women inside. Three passersby went into the water to try to reach them. Only one of the two occupants came back out, according to CBC News.
The car floated briefly before being pulled under by the current, according to Kamloops Search and Rescue. The bystanders, working in slick mud on a steep bank, managed to break a window and pull the passenger free. The driver could not be reached before the vehicle was swept downriver and sank.
One of the people who jumped in was hospitalized himself. He nearly didn’t make it back out. As of Tuesday, the search for the driver had been suspended because of conditions on the river, and Kamloops emergency officials were publicly crediting the strangers who went into the water for keeping the toll from being higher.
Unfortunately, it seems that the driver did pass away during the incident. There has been no update on the driver’s condition since the car was spotted going under.
What Happened on the River
According to the Kamloops RCMP, the crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. A vehicle driven by a 24-year-old woman left Schubert Drive on the city’s north shore and entered the river near Birch Avenue.
The water was running high and fast, so the car floated for a period of time before becoming submerged, leaving only a short period of time where it could still be reached.
Three bystanders went into the water to try and rescue the passengers. One named Cameron Granger claimed he was driving along Schubert Drive around 6:30 p.m. when he saw people waving for help and decided to assist. A second bystander, 72-year-old Pierre Beaulieu, went searching for a piece of wood long enough to reach the car so he could help as well.
A third man, who Winston credited with breaking the window and getting the passenger out, was nearly overwhelmed by the river himself.
Winston’s husband held the man in the water at one point while he was unconscious, and rescuers used harnesses to drag him to the bank.
The People in the Car
The 21-year-old passenger was successfully rescued and taken to Royal Inland Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One bystander was taken to the same hospital, also with non-life-threatening injuries.
The 24-year-old driver could not be reached before the vehicle was swept downriver and sank; the RCMP say she is presumed to have drowned.
The investigation is still ongoing at this time. However, several are indeed safe because of the bystanders that jumped in to assist.
The Search
Kamloops Search and Rescue and the RCMP suspended their search on Tuesday because of poor visibility, which has limited the drones and helicopter being used to scan the water.
They said they will resume once conditions improve and know roughly where the vehicle was last seen. Kamloops firefighters publicly praised the courage of the bystanders who entered the water.
Floodwaters can be the source of many dangerous situations. If you find yourself driving near them, it’s best to turn around and head back rather than trying to navigate them.