November is typically the wettest month for residents of British Columbia, Canada, but this year has been even more blustery than usual.
Videos by InspireMore
When a huge rain storm swept through the Vancouver area, thousands of residents were forced to abandon their homes and head to higher ground. Unfortunately, many people got trapped by damaged bridges, landslides, rockslides, and flooding, and now the province has declared a state of emergency.
One stretch of Highway 7 near Agassiz was destroyed by two sudden landslides, which left hundreds stranded. About 300 people, including 50 children and 20 dogs, were trapped in their cars by debris and raging waters. Rescuers couldn’t get to them right away, so they spent a long, cold night huddled together in their vehicles.
“That slide happened really really quickly,” said Chelsea Bennett, who spent the night in her car. “(It) happened 10 minutes after we passed by it. We are just really grateful that we weren’t caught in either one of them.”
Drivers like Chelsea and Adam Wuisman found themselves trapped between two destroyed sections of highway, but many others were swept away by the landslides. Thankfully, they managed to crawl out of their mud-encased cars and climb up the hill, where other victims took them into their own cars to stay warm until help arrived.
“It’s kind of helpless to feel like you’re between a very vulnerable mountainside side and the Fraser River on the other side,” Adam said. “And there’s really nothing you can do about it, but hope nothing comes down on top of you.”
The next afternoon, the Canadian Armed Forces deployed a Cormorant rescue helicopter from its base in Comox to airlift the stranded motorists to safety!
There were no injuries, and everyone was so relieved to be out of such a scary and potentially dangerous situation. Three cheers for these heroic first responders and military personnel!
Journalist Alanna Kelly captured incredible footage of victims climbing aboard the helicopter. Watch it below, and be sure to share this unforgettable rescue with others.
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