A family member says it's a "miracle" a Saskatchewan couple survived after getting caught in a mudslide near Nelson, B.C. last week.
Sheri Niemegeers and her boyfriend, Gabe Rosescu, were on Highway 3 last Thursday when a mudslide plowed through the Kootenay Mountain Pass.
Their vehicle was swept off a cliff, along with trees, mud and debris, but it got stuck and did not plunge the entire way down.
A firefighter who also happens to be from Saskatchewan was the first to come across the scene.
Marty Bowes said he and his colleague initially didn't think anyone was trapped, but then they heard someone yelling for help.
"It was shock at first. All I could think of was we had to get to them and get them out of there," Bowes told CTV News in a phone interview.
"I could hear them screaming and I knew they were both in some danger."
He and his coworker acted fast, pulling the couple to safety.
"It's a miracle that they made it out of their car," said Don Struthers, Rosescu's brother-in-law.
"If somebody hadn't had the smarts to dive in there and start looking, I don't think we'd be having this same conversation right now."
Niemegeers suffered a broken sternum and ankle, while Rosescu is in serious condition with a head injury. He has bruising on his brain and broken orbital, nasal and cheek bones, as well as a fractured jaw and reduced vision in one eye. Hewill require surgery once the swelling goes down.
Struthers has started an online fundraiser for the pair, which had raised more than $20,000 by Tuesday afternoon.
