1 dead, 1 unaccounted for after home 'displaced' by B.C. mudslide

A specialized search and rescue crew was called to the site of a landslide to search for occupants of an impacted home on Dec. 15, 2024.

A resident of a home impacted by a landslide near Lions Bay, B.C. on Saturday has been found dead, authorities confirmed.

The second resident of the home remains missing, the Squamish RCMP said in an update Sunday night.

Police said emergency crews found the person’s body Sunday and that the individual had succumbed to injuries.

“Emergency crews are continuing their search this evening for a second person associated with the home who remains unaccounted for,” B.C. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Kames Grandy said in a news release.

The Sea to Sky Highway reopened Sunday morning but clean-up crews remain at the scene of the mudslide, he added.

According to the mayor of Lions Bay, the home was “displaced” in the slide.

“Several residents were evacuated as a precaution, and efforts to rescue others whose access has been cut off by the slide are ongoing,” Ken Berry wrote in a statement.

The response to the slide includes a number of local and provincial agencies, he added.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to all first responders and supporting agencies for their dedication and professionalism during this challenging time. The safety of our community remains our top priority,” Berry wrote.

An assessment has determined that further slide activity is unlikely, Berry said, thanking provincial crews for working through the night to clear a massive amount of debris from the Sea to Sky Highway – allowing the route to reopen Sunday morning.

Saturday morning’s landslide closed Highway 99 for more than 18 hours. Drivers caught in traffic posted photos to social media showing a pile of trees blocking the road.

North Shore Emergency Management opened a reception centre for travellers stranded by the landslide at Lions Gate Community and Recreation Centre in North Vancouver.

On the other side of the landslide, a reception centre was set up at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

The landslide came during a windstorm that knocked out power for approximately 320,000 people and saw gusts of over 100 km/h hit some parts of the South Coast.