A washout on Bamfield Road on Vancouver Island over the weekend turned out to be fatal as two separate vehicles have been found submerged in the Sarita River.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, Port Alberni RCMP received two separate missing persons reports for two different overdue travellers on Bamfield Road. Police were able to ping the cell phone of one missing person, which showed they last connected with a cell tower near the 58-km mark on Bamfield Main. The road had been flooded after heavy rainfall and high tides caused the Sarita River to rise over its banks.
One missing individual's dog was pulled out of the water at around 1 p.m. by good Samaritans, but the dog's owner was not found. A helicopter was deployed to the area to conduct an aerial search and the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad was requested to assist in the search.
Just before 9 p.m., family members of one of the missing persons located their loved one's truck fully submerged in Sarita River. Due to the fast-flowing water and darkness, emergency services were unable to confirm if the vehicle was occupied. The missing driver was later located deceased a short distance away.
A second vehicle has also been found in the Sarita River, but search and rescue personnel are still monitoring the water and waiting for a chance to conduct a swift water recovery. They believe this vehicle contains the second missing person.
Police are now urging travellers to stay away from the area of the Sarita River.
"Water is flowing fast and this portion of the Bamfield Road is susceptible to flooding, especially around high tides," said Const. Beth O'Connor, media relations officer for the Port Alberni RCMP. "Also, police want to remind everyone that attempting to cross flooded roadways can be extremely dangerous."
The atmospheric river weather system that lashed British Columbia91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s coast over the weekend set a number of daily rainfall records across the province. Rainfall warnings remain in effect for much of the south coast, and B.C.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s River Forecast Centre is maintaining flood warnings for waterways on southwestern Vancouver Island.
