A truck carrying two people went off the frozen logging road on the morning of Jan. 19 in same area where a camp has been established for those protesting against old growth harvesting.
C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, co-owned by Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forests Products, was made aware of a single vehicle incident that occurred the morning of Jan. 19 at the 14.5 km mark on the Walbran Main.
“It is C̕awak ʔqin’s understanding that a private vehicle lost control, left the road, and ended up in Walbran Creek,” said Geoff Payne, general manager of the forestry company.
He went on to say that emergency services, including the RCMP, attended the scene.
Sources say that a pickup truck left the roadway and fell down an 80-foot embankment. The two people in the truck survived and were able to extricate themselves, making their way back up to the road where they were discovered by passing forestry workers.
The BC Ambulance Service received a call at 11:22 a.m. on Jan. 19 about a motor vehicle incident on a forest service road outside of Lake Cowichan.
“Two ambulances with primary care paramedics, an advanced care paramedic response unit and an air ambulance with critical care paramedics attended the scene,” stated the ambulance service.
“Paramedics provided emergency medical care for one patient who was transported by air ambulance to hospital in stable condition”, said Brian Twaites, B.C. Emergency Health Services paramedic public information officer.
While it is not known if the two people involved in the accident are associated with the protest camp, the site of the accident is on the route to the encampment near McLure Lake. Proponents of the Ada’itsx Fairy Creek Blockade continue to invite people to join them at the remote camp, with route directions displayed on their social media pages.
Protests have been underway on the logging roads of southwest Vancouver Island since the summer of 2020, when a group emerged to protect old growth forest in the Fairy Creek Valley near Port Renfrew from logging. At times alerts have been issued when members of the public went missing in the remote region, including the case of Kevin ‘Bear’ Henry. In February 2022 forestry industry workers came upon the 37-year-old, after he had been reported missing months earlier. Henry had planned to join a logging protest camp in the Walbran Valley. His family last spoke to Bear on November 27, 2021. He had been traveling alone with his camp supplies in an old van.
It was winter and the roads in the mountains of the Walbran Valley would have been frozen, with snow in some areas. Bear Henry reportedly went down a little-used spur road where his van broke down. He claims to have lived off his limited supply of food, inside his van until February 9, 2022, when he left the shelter and headed for the busier logging road.
Forestry workers brought Henry to Lake Cowichan where he was medically treated and eventually reunited with his family.
C̕awak ʔqin Forestry say that it is their understanding that the RCMP is investigating the Jan. 19 incident and that they are working with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and ICBC to ensure a prompt removal of the vehicle from Walbran Creek.
“This incident serves as a good reminder about being prepared for winter driving conditions on industrial roads, which can be subject to rapid change,” said Geoff Payne. “Industrial roads can have varying surface conditions and may not be suitable for all vehicles. Obey all posted speed limits, warning signs and closure restrictions.”
If you’re travelling on industrial roads in the winter, the BCEHS offers these general winter driving safety tips:
- Winter tires are required in many parts of B.C. Winter tires provide better traction in snowy and icy conditions.
- Along with winter snow tires, make sure you have enough fuel or battery life and plenty of windshield wiper fluid before heading out.
- Avoid driving when tired
- Don’t drive distracted
- Leave your cell phone alone
- Leave early - giving extra time for your trip so you’re not rushing.
- Don’t drive impaired
- Maintain a safe following distance behind other vehicles.
- Don’t drive through large puddles or pools of water if you can safely avoid it.
If you’re going to be on the road, make sure to check current conditions and road closures before leaving. If conditions are poor, you may want to consider delaying your trip.
A court injunction remains in place, which enables police to arrest those interfering with forestry activities in the area.
