Environment
Three People Die After Boat Crashes in Flooded British Columbia River
Rescuers save five survivors as searchers recover the final victim's body from the swollen Squamish River following heavy regional rainfall and flooding.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by Global, Vancouver Sun and CBC
Canadian authorities recovered the body of a third victim on Friday after a motorized boat carrying eight people crashed in the flooded Squamish River on Thursday afternoon.
Emergency crews responded to the incident north of Vancouver at approximately 1:52 p.m. on Thursday, rescuing five survivors while searching for the missing passengers.
Heavy rain pushed the Squamish River to its highest level on record for mid-November, washing out roads and cutting off vehicle access to remote areas of the valley.
"The weather and river conditions have played a significant role in the response efforts," said Cpl. Ashley MacKay of the Squamish RCMP.
Police said the deceased victims include two females and one male, though authorities have not yet publicly released their names.
Investigators believe the vessel struck an object in the fast-moving water, throwing several passengers into the river, according to CBC.
The five survivors managed to reach the far bank of the river, where they remained safe despite emergency teams lacking direct road access to their location.
A resident living near the crash site told the Vancouver Sun that a jet boat had been traveling up and down the river for hours before the accident occurred.
"We haven’t seen flooding like this in years," the neighbour told the Vancouver Sun, noting that the river had swollen 5½ metres higher than normal.
Emergency vehicles traveled to the 15900-block of Squamish Valley Road shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday as local residents mobilized drones and private assistance.
Flooding washed out the main access road near the Pilchuck Bailey Bridge and forced a closure two to three kilometres north of the Cheekye area, CBC reported.
"There has been loss of life. We’re very sad to hear that news," said Lorne Doerkson, the premier-designate of British Columbia.
Specialized search units, including RCMP Air Services, an underwater recovery team, and marine services, assisted local emergency crews during the search operation.
The flooding prompted evacuation orders and alerts in nearby areas, including the Village of Pemberton and lands belonging to the Lilʼwat Nation, Global News reported.
"We send the condolences out to those who are affected," said Cpl. Brett Urano of the RCMP.
Police said they are continuing to investigate who owned the boat and why the vessel was operating on the river during hazardous weather conditions.
Reporting from
- Global NewsNot politically framed
3 people dead, 5 rescued after boating incident in Squamish Valley
- Vancouver SunNot politically framed
‘Ripping up and down’: 3 dead after boating incident on Squamish River
- CBCNot politically framed
3 dead after boat crash in flooded river near Squamish, B.C.
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 3 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.