Image: A mudslide blocks Highway 99 Saturday. / THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Michal Aibin

By Fraser Valley Today Staff / Canadian Press

Search continues

Emergency crews hunt for two survivors after mudslide displaced house in Lions Bay

Dec 15, 2024 | 4:31 PM

SWQUAMISH — The mayor of the village of Lions Bay, said search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate two people who may have been home after their residence was hit by the same mudslide that closed the Sea to Sky highway.

Highway 99 reopened early Sunday after crews were able to clear a mudslide between Lions Bay and Brunswick Beach that had cut off the route between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C.

Mounties in Squamish said in a statement on Sunday morning that one home had been affected by the mudslide with residents still unaccounted for.

RCMP spokesman James Grandy said officers, emergency crews, and heavy-duty search and rescue crews are on site, and they will release more details on Monday.

Village of Lions Bay mayor Ken Berry said in a written statement on Sunday that one home on Glendale Avenue, which is at the north end of the village, was displaced by the landslide.

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Berry said search and rescue operations are underway to locate two people who may have been in the home at the time.

Several residents had been evacuated as a precaution, said Berry, adding that rescue efforts are underway for residents whose access has been cut off by the landslide.

Berry also extended his gratitude to Lions Bay fire chief Barret Germscheid, Lions Bay search and rescue and the Ministry of Transportation for their support and help.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to all first responders and supporting agencies for their dedication and professionalism during this challenging time,” Berry wrote in the statement, adding that the community’s safety is their top priority.

Meanwhile, emergency services in Surrey confirmed a 65-year-old woman died during the storm after she was hit by a falling tree.

Surrey Fire Service assistant chief Greg McRobbie said on Sunday that his crews responded to a call for a “traumatic injury” in a residence in South Surrey after 10 a.m. on Saturday.

On arrival, they found the woman unresponsive, next to a very large branch that witnesses said fell from roughly 30 feet above, said McRobbie.

“It was an extremely difficult call, not only for the people there but also for the firefighters who attended,” said McRobbie, “our thoughts are with the family and friends. It’s an extremely difficult time and such a tragic incident.”

Crews from Surrey Fire Services also responded to a separate call Saturday morning in the city about another person trapped by a fallen tree.

McRobbie said firefighters were able to rescue the person out from under the tree.

Environment Canada says the windstorm created wind gusts as high as 96 kilometres per hour at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Delta, B.C., and 115 kilometres per hour on Saturna Island, located midway between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

The windstorm knocked out power for more than 320,000 customers, said BC Hydro, with all but about 5,000 having power restored by Sunday morning.

The utility said crews will continue to work throughout the day to repair power lines, poles and other electrical equipment to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.