Two BC Ferries employees are recovering after the vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a river in the Bella Coola Valley Sunday evening, Feb. 16. 

The Northern Sea Wolf crew members were travelling east on Highway 20 to their lodgings between Hagensborg and Firvale when their pickup truck missed the corner just before the Nusatsum Bridge.

They left the road, went down a 25-metre embankment, flipped and were partially submerged in the Nusatsum River. 

At the time the river's level was low and there was ice formed over some sections.

Both of the occupants were able to get out of the vehicle and were waiting on the ice when the RCMP and B.C. Emergency Health Services arrived after being dispatched at 9:40 p.m. 

Nusatsum Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bryan McFaren said they were called in at about 9:40 p.m. and six members responded. 

91裸聊视频淲e went up to see if we could help with anything,91裸聊视频� he told Black Press. 

Three of the firefighters remained up on top to assist the RCMP with traffic control and the other three went down below to assist BCEHS paramedics. 

Bella Coola Valley Search and Rescue was called in at about 10 p.m. and McFaren said some of his crew helped chainsaw a bush line so BCVSAR could get their rescue boats in. 

BCVSAR's Ryan Levesque, who heads up the swift water rescue team, and David Robin, head of the ground search team, said they arrived by about 11 p.m. with seven members and equipment. 

The subjects were on the ice with the fire departments and paramedics keeping them warm with fire, clothing and a variety of other methods, Robin said. 

The scene was well-controlled by everyone there, added Levesque. 

BCVSAR manager Trevor Provost  set up a low angle rope system to get down to the subjects, and Levesque said paramedics and firefighters were then able to come and go, using the rope system.

91裸聊视频淓xtrication of the subjects required the swift water team so at around midnight we deployed our initial response raft upstream of the incident and two members floated down,91裸聊视频� said Levesque, adding a second raft was deployed later. 

One of the victims was loaded into a transport basket and then taken over to the ground team. 

The seven SAR members were each paired with a paramedic or a firefighter, Levesque said, noting "the collaborative nature of this effort was one of the bigger wins for our community." 

Robin agreed, noting it was "a successful, inter-agency effort." 

The first victim was in the ambulance by 2 a.m. and the second person by 3 a.m, Levesque said. 

91裸聊视频淲e have to really thank the fire departments for providing some much-needed muscle. We would have had to use a pulley systems in order to get one person out and we would have just exhausted ourselves,91裸聊视频� Robin explained.

BCEHS said paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to the two patients.

"One patient was transported to hospital in serious but stable condition. The other patient was transported to hospital in stable condition,91裸聊视频� said BCEHS public information officer Rachelle Bown.

Water in the river was fairly shallow in some spots and in particular where the ice developed and that allowed responders to operate safely.

91裸聊视频淣o one was worried about being swept under the ice by the river,91裸聊视频� Robin said. 91裸聊视频淥therwise the scenario might have played out very differently. We did take safety into account because we are not ice rescue.91裸聊视频�

BC Ferries senior communications advisor Shiryn Sayani said BC Ferries is relieved their two employees are safe following this incident.

91裸聊视频淭his was a serious incident, and we recognize how fortunate they are to have sustained relatively minor injuries.91裸聊视频�

Sayani noted BC Ferries appreciated the 91裸聊视频渟wift response of local emergency services and the community members who assisted in their rescue,91裸聊视频� and is conducting an internal safety investigation into this incident and ensuring the employees have the support they need as they recover.

The Nusatusm Bridge is at the crux of a hairpin turn on Highway 20 said Robin and Levesque.

91裸聊视频淎lmost every winter someone hits the bridge in some way or fashion. A vehicle hit the bridge three days earlier in the same spot this vehicle went over,91裸聊视频� Levesque said. 91裸聊视频淭his definitely won91裸聊视频檛 be the last time someone hits that spot.91裸聊视频�

Last year BCVSAR had done some night training at the Nusatsum Bridge site which allowed them to operate well at the call on Sunday evening.

91裸聊视频淲e were thankful we did the work beforehand so we could do the work when it counted,91裸聊视频� Robin said.

Fire chief McFaren said had it happened a few weeks later, the water levels of the river would have definitely been higher and it could have been 91裸聊视频渁 lot worse than it was.91裸聊视频�

They don91裸聊视频檛 normally attend motor vehicle incidents but do make themselves available, McFaren said.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 community right. It91裸聊视频檚 most likely going to be a friend of yours or a family member. In this case it happened to be two people from out of town,91裸聊视频� he added.

The crash took place about 23 kilometres from Bella Coola and BC Ferries and Marine Workers Union president Eric McNeely said the incident highlighted the challenge for crew members working on vessels that don't have enough accommodation and require additional travel.

"Thank goodness it didn't turn out a lot worse," he said. "When I first got the call - I lived in the valley a long time ago and know about that corner - I thought that's not good. People have been going off that corner for 40 years." 

He also penned a letter Feb. 17 addressed to the residents and first responders in the Bella Coola Valley, thanking the RCMP, BCVSAR, BCEHS, the fire departments, hospital staff, nurses, doctors, Nuxalk Nation and the local community.

"People in the area were bringing blankets and hot drinks for people - it really speaks to that sense of community," he told Black Press. "Our members really appreciate that - not all of them are locals." 

McNeely was communicating with the ferry captain through the night of the incident and the next morning and said the captain was grateful for all the support also. 

McNeely confirmed the crew members are still recovering and the incident has given the union an opportunity to talk with BC Ferries about providing accommodation for crew members, and for crew that are there training which had been happening last week. 

"We are very happy the injuries were not more substantial," he added. 

Levesque said the call was one that BCVSAR had thought about and planned for as the swift water team for a long time.

91裸聊视频淲e had a pre-plan in place, which I think was really important.91裸聊视频�

He said there is a very good chance the swift water team will be folding by April 2025 because of lack of funding.

91裸聊视频淲e are really struggling with being able to keep our swift water team going," he said.

"The timeline for this call would have been different if we didn91裸聊视频檛 have one because they would have had to call in a team from Williams Lake and that is six hours away.91裸聊视频�