July 31 2012

     Well I ventured into town today for supplies. The lake level had gone down and there was no more driving in the water. There had been a storm in the upper Meager country which made the lake a little muddier looking than usual.
I was in the vegetable section in the grocery store when I heard the sirens leave town. Pemberton is more of a village and the cops, the ambulance, and the fire dept rescue all leaving town at the same time is quite an event.
   I guess an hour and a half later after I had gassed up and headed down the rough gravel lake road, there was no on coming traffic, but that is not unusual. I heard a little chatter on the radio about the medivac helicopter landing at a wide spot ahead I was familiar with and knew there was trouble ahead. I came around the corner where the junction is of the east road and bridge over to the west road. There was a gravel crushing plant set up there a few years back during some road work and the result is a dusty area just big enough to land a helicopter.

According to these sweaty rescue guys there had been a mva a little further down the road. It does not happen very often out here, but we have had our share, and never a good sign to see the BC Medical Sikorsky show up. I asked them if it was a 'tourist', or a 'local'. He said local so its going to be someone I know of at least.
The worst case was transported to this spot before being flown over the mountains to a medical facility.
 The area was cleared of all emergency vehicles and personnel. The co-pilot/engineer I assume it was got out and had a final walk around, checking all outside surfaces, wheels, gear etc. before the big machine began to wind up.

The powerful twin engine machine lifted out of the dust cloud vertically, retracted the landing gear and quickly accelerated out over the Lillooett River before taking a heading over the mountains to land on the roof of a hospital in Whistler or North Vancouver.

Yikes, an SUV rolled and piled into a tree upside down around the 32km mark, I recognise the vehicle as an outfit from down the road at the first nation village of Skatin'. I've been monitoring the hand held radio all evening, hoping for some information.