The earth came crashing down a hillside on Riverside Drive in Corner Brook just before midnight last night, catching two moving vehicles on the road in its path.
One of the vehicles, occupants inside, was swept right into the Humber River, but RNC officers were able to rescue the passengers. Divers will be going in to the water today to make sure that nobody else got caught up in it.
Mayor Jim Parsons says a significant amount of soil, rock and debris, including a number of trees, came crashing down the hill and across the road.
One vehicle did not go into the water but one did, says the mayor.
Mayor Parsons says the landslide began a long way up. He says it appears as though it began as far up as the old highway.
Parsons is asking people to stay away from the area. He says it is best to tune into social media if you’re looking for pictures and video.
He says to stay away from the Lundrigan’s property as there will be a lot of traffic with first responders and other crews in the area.
Three RNC officers are being hailed as heroes after jumping into action at the scene of last night’s landslide.
The officers were first on the scene, arriving just minutes after the initial call came in, and quickly realized that a pickup had been pushed into the water by the mass of earth and debris that suddenly let loose from the hills above.
RNC Constable James Cadigan says the occupants of the truck had made it out of the vehicle, but were still in the water in the darkness and the officers jumped in to get them to safety.
The two people in the water were safely rescued, and all passengers in the pickup and a car that was still on the road, escaped the ordeal with relatively minor injuries.
Cadigan says last night’s events illustrate the uncertainty faced by first responders at any given time. “You know, you’re the only one out there, and suddenly you are sent on a call of this nature and suddenly you have to switch on…instinctive response…(and) lean on your training and communication skills.”
Cadigan offered his thanks to the many first responders who arrived on the scene last night. He calls it a partnership of individuals and agencies who come together in a disaster to ensure public safety. He offered his thanks to the Corner Brook Fire Department, Bay of Islands Search and Rescue, RCMP, the Coast Guard and Newfoundland Power who all jumped into action in a very volatile situation.
A relieved mother is posting her gratitude to the first responders at the scene of that landslide last night—but is asking serious questions about why the road was open in the first place.
Dawn Aylward took to Facebook last night to offer her thanks following last night’s nightmarish events.
Aylward received a call from her daughter indicating that she and her family members were in the vehicles caught in the landslide, one of which ended up in the water. The other vehicle, a car, narrowly avoided the same fate.
Aylward says miraculously, all of those affected emerged with only minor injuries.
She is offering her thanks to first responders, but wants to know why the road, which had been closed due to this weekend’s heavy rain, was reopened to traffic.