Helicopter rescues continuing as slides trap more vehicles along B.C. highways

Vancouver -

A massive rescue effort remains underway to help the hundreds of people who were left stranded on B.C. highways overnight after an intense storm triggered several mudslides, landslides and rockslides in the province.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth addressed the worried families with loved ones who have been marooned with their vehicles since Sunday, promising that the government is doing everything it can to bring them to safety.

"We know it's difficult but help is on the way," Farnworth said.

Another slide that struck Highway 7 near Haig on Monday left even more people trapped, though the exact number is still being determined.

"Work is underway to rescue those vehicles and those people now," Farnworth said. "While we continue to face challenging weather conditions, we can see an improved forecast ahead, which will assist with the recovery and reopening of roads."

Two of Sunday's slides cut off Highway 7 between Agassiz and Hope, stranding approximately 290 people, according to Canada Task Force 1, a heavy urban search and rescue team that operates through the Vancouver fire department.

The Agassiz Fire Department and Hope Search and Rescue were able to extract 12 people on Sunday night, but the rest – including about 50 children – were forced to shelter in place throughout the intense storm.

Melanie Forsythe, who was driving from Vancouver to Prince George with her boyfriend and a friend, was among the people trapped on the highway overnight.

“There are people here that are lacking insulin,” she said prior to her rescue on Monday. “I feel scared, but at least we're safe in a vehicle."

Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopters were deployed Monday morning, and Farnworth said "progress has been made" in airlifting additional people to safety, despite the difficult weather.

"Many people have been rescued by helicopters from mudslides near Agassiz and Hope, with crews working to rescue the remaining people in the next few hours," the minister said.

About 50 vehicles were trapped by a slide near Lillooet as well, according to officials.

On Tuesdays, crews are heading back into the area to search for vehicles that may have been carried away in the slides. So far, there have been no reports of fatalities.

The mudslides rolled over the highway during an “atmospheric river” that brought a deluge of rain and flooding to the southwest and central parts of the province beginning over the weekend, and ultimately resulted in evacuation orders in several communities.

The includes all of Merritt, a city east of Lytton in the Nicola Valley that's home to more than 7,000 residents.

The historic storm meant some parts of B.C. recorded as much rainfall in under 48 hours as they do for the entire month of November, on average, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Farnworth said Merritt, Princeton and areas on highways 5, 9 and 99 saw the worst of the storm.

"I'd like to thank everyone who was affected for your patience, strength, and for doing everything you can to stay safe," he added.

Up-do-date information on highway conditions, evacuation orders and evacuation alerts is available through the DriveBC and Emergency Info B.C. websites.

With files from The Canadian Press

A photo submitted by Kassandra Harder and Robert Doolan shows the mudslide near Agassiz, B.C.

A photo submitted by Kassandra Harder and Robert Doolan shows the mudslide near Agassiz, B.C.