Volunteers work to keep hope afloat on Sumas Prairie
The journey may not be long.
But it some ways, it feels like another planet.
Barns silent and still where there were once cattle and chickens.
Roads transformed into what feel like unpredictable rivers.
The only sounds on the eastern end of Sumas Prairie: the sheeting rain, the lapping waves, and the low roar of our jet boat, one of many vessels trying to keep hope afloat.
We’ve hitched a ride with 23-year-old Jon Reeves.
He’s a man of few words, but one with a big heart.
He normally runs the OK Tire shop in town with his dad and brother; he’s a proud one-third shareholder.
But over the last few days, since the flood waters rose, with nature trying to reclaim the lake that once covered these rich agriculture lands, he’s done nothing but rescues.
“Everything from…a pet crocodile, to calves, to people,” Reeves says.
He’s not a hero, he says, just a guy with a boat.
We put in where the water swallows the pavement.
Sierra Burroughs, 21, who has lived on the prairie some 12 years with her family, and her friend, Trinity Carlow, pile in.
Yesterday, she salvaged her cat, Peanut.
Today, she’s hoping to see if she can grab photo albums, but Reeves’ mission, ultimately, is to find pets or livestock in need.
Before we shove off, he receives yet another plea.
The list, he tells me, keeps growing.
Two dogs and a cat, plus a man’s life savings.
Inside an RV.
Somewhere out here.
A few minutes later, we near the Burroughs home.
There's water halfway up the first floor.
Oddly, the electricity is still on.
It’s not safe to stay.
Burroughs didn’t bring the right keys.
The photos and laptops will have to wait.
“It’s heartbreaking, because we feel so hopeless,” Burroughs says.
But the spirit of hope is still alive – though out here, there’s no time to reflect.
Every minute brings its own risks, like floating debris, or unexpected high ground.
Reeves shouts “Grate!” and I run to the back. He kills the engine.
I jump up and down on a metal bar on the stern, clearing out the muck caged up underneath.
After we nearly run aground, Reeves somehow finds our destination.
A skiff with three men, who look official to me, is parked out front.
Another team out to help.
Burroughs climbs up the rear ladder, onto the RV roof.
Within seconds she’s holding Mystic, the cat we’ve come to save.
Completely dry.
The dogs, Neo and Sullivan, are cold and distressed.
But alive.
Jordan Jiang, my photographer, recording every moment, shouts: “They’re just regular guys, David!”
Three guys from Abbotsford.
Volunteers.
Covered in rain gear and life jackets.
With a small outboard, radios, and a shoestring plan.
Maybe regular in another time, or another place.
But not today.
“We went for 20 cows today,” Theo Faber says. “And unfortunately the majority were stuck in the barn in the back.”
We transfer the dogs, boat to boat.
Burroughs and Carlow try to settle them down.
We’ve been out a couple hours.
It feels like an era.
On our journey back, I look out, seeing a farm I recognize that was mostly dry on just Tuesday.
It takes me a minute to catch my breath.
And before I know it, we reach our makeshift port.
Up the hill, then off the prairie.
An hour later, we watch as Al Reimeyer reconnects with his animals – really, his family.
Elated, and at the same time, nearly in tears.
Burroughs hands over Mystic.
“Come here, it’s OK baby,” Reimeyer says.
One family reunited.
One of thousands.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.