Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
(The following is an update including an official press release from the RCMP.)
An Osoyoos man and his dog were rescued after a vehicle was driven into the Okanagan River channel north of Osoyoos Lake on Monday morning.
On April 19 at 10:24 a.m., Osoyoos RCMP along with emergency services from Osoyoos and Oliver responded after a Jeep Cherokee drove off of a dike roadway into the channel north of the lake with one man and his dog aboard.
Although neither the man nor his dog was injured, the man was transported to hospital for a medical assessment while his dog was secured with local animal control.
The Oliver Fire Department had to utilize its water rescue training to pull the man and his dog from the half-submerged vehicle.
Emergency services received a 911 call regarding an SUV-type vehicle that was floating in the water at the end of the channel access road off Road 22.
It was reported that an individual was still in the vehicle and needed extrication. The occupant was still conscious with his dog by his side.
A witness told the Times-Chronicle that he arrived at the location with his kayak to do some fishing. That’s when he saw the half-submerged vehicle.
“I proceeded to call it in and I paddled out there to see what else was going on,” said Paul Kofoed from Osoyoos.
He noted that he observed a man, who was calm, sitting in the back seat with his dog.
“I was looking to catch fish, not SUVs,” he said.
When the fire department arrived, Kofoed took a rescue line out to the vehicle, which members used to bring the man and dog to shore.
Kofoed said he can only imagine how the vehicle ended up in the river.
“When you take a look at the water here, to get down there he must have drove in here and floated down.”
The windshield wipers on the vehicle were still activated.
One firefighter managed to rescue the dog, while another escorted the patient to shore. The man didn’t appear to suffer any injuries but was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Oliver Fire Chief Bob Graham said he couldn’t confirm how or why the vehicle ended up in the water. He referred further questions to the RCMP.
Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth said the patient was taken to hospital for a medical assessment. He noted the dog was turned over to the pound and the SPCA was notified.
Firefighters rescue a man and his dog from a vehicle that ended up in the Okanagan River off Road 22 Monday morning.
(Photo by Lyonel Doherty)
