A Delta police officer was able to put his pilot training to good use earlier this week, flying home a former neighbour stranded by landslides and flooding triggered by record-setting rain Sunday.
“Lisa, my former neighbour from Surrey, reached out on Facebook Messenger to see if I might be able to help her and her husband Dean, and their dog Enzo,” Const. Geoff Young said in a post on the DPD’s Facebook page.
The couple were among the 275 people trapped for 21 hours between two landslides east of Agassiz on Highway 7. The couple and their dog had slept in their vehicle Sunday night (Nov. 14), parked under a rock face and listening to the pouring rain, terrified about the prospect of another landslide.
RELATED: Woman swept away by B.C. mudslide waited hours on roof of her car for rescue (Nov. 17, 2021)
They and others were rescued by a Canadian Forces Cormorant search and rescue helicopter Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 16) and dropped safely in Chilliwack. Once there, however, the couple couldn’t fund a way to get home as the highway and back roads were all flooded.
That’s when his former neighbour reached out to Const. Young, who was a commercial pilot prior to the joining to the DPD.
Young readily agreed to help, but didn’t think he’d be able to assist until he got off duty.
When his staff sergeant learned Young had been asked to fly the couple and their dog home, the constable was given permission to take off a few hours early for the rescue mission.
“I’m so happy to have had access to a private plane so I could help them out, and use my pilot’s licence for something like that,” Young said.
SEE ALSO: Maple Ridge pilot swoops in to rescue the stranded from Hope (Nov. 18, 2021)
SEE ALSO: B.C. storm disrupts supply chain, could have lasting impacts on economy: experts (Nov. 17, 2021)
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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