Mission – JULY 22 UPDATE from Mission Search & Rescue Society: On the night of July 17, MSAR was tasked to respond to a vehicle over an embankment up Norrish Creek FSR.
One of the occupants, who sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, made his way to the road, where he was transported to the hospital by a civilian. MSAR arrived on scene and conducted a brief search to locate the suspected crash site. This was confirmed by the Initial Response Team, who found the vehicle in the creek 500 feet below. The second occupant was located downstream of the vehicle, on the bank of the river, in critical condition. As he was being treated, our rope rescue team was inserted and extracted the young man up the highly technical terrain to the BCEHS team. Despite the intervention of Critical Care Paramedics with life-saving measures, the young man sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Due to the steep nature of the canyon below, a swiftwater team was deployed by helicopter long-line to access the vehicle. They were able to locate and extract the third occupant, who had also unfortunately succumbed to crash-related injuries.
We are deeply saddened by the outcome of this call and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the young men.
SAR would like to extend our gratitude to BCEHS, Chilliwack SAR, Central Fraser Valley SAR, North Shore Rescue, Valley Helicopters, and the RCMP.
JULY 18 ORIGINAL STORY – Two young men are dead and a third has serious injuries after their truck crashed down an embankment on Norrish Creek Forest Service Road, east of Mission, on the night of July 17.
Mission RCMP was called after a motorist on Norrish Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) was flagged down by an injured man shortly before 9 pm last night. The man – who was found around the 7-kilometre mark – said he had been a passenger in a truck with two friends, when the truck crashed. Mission Search and Rescue was called out, and despite the terrain and darkness, they were able to locate indications of where a vehicle had left the gravel roadway. Approximately 300 feet down an embankment from that location, in the waters of the creek below, they located the wreckage of the pickup truck that the men had been travelling in. Sadly, both of the remaining occupants died as a result of the crash. The man who made it to the roadway suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The trio were all 22 years old and residents of Abbotsford. They had been camping with other friends in the area, which is a popular backcountry recreation area.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction unit is investigating alongside Mission RCMP’s Traffic Services Unit. Mission RCMP are asking anyone who saw a red Ford Ranger with a black Canopy in the Norrish Creek area on July 17 to call police, at 604-826-7161, file 25-8509. There are no road closures in place along the Norrish Creek FSR.
