Car accident requires Jaws of Life and rope rescue
By Trail Champion editor
Specialized rescue skills were required to help a motorist near Fruitvale this morning, according to Trail RCMP Sgt. Rob Hawton.
“A driver was heading east-bound in an SUV on Hwy 3B just west of the connector to Castlegar, at about 10:30 a.m.” he said. “He hit some slush that pulled his tires and pulled him over the bank, rolling his vehicle.”
Hawton said the Jaws of Life were required to extricate the man, then rope rescue was needed to bring the man up the steep embankment.
Regional Fire Chief Terry Martin, of Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue (KBRFR), said Salmo rescue crews called KBRFR for assistance.
“There was difficulty getting the driver up the bank,” he said. “They used rope rescue to haul him up on a basket stretcher.
“The folks from Salmo had everything all set up – it worked very well.”
The Fruitvale man was then transported to KBRH with non-life-threatening injuries.
