Sunshine Coast first responders were called out to two separate highway incidents in Pender Harbour on May 8.
Just before 2 p.m. Monday, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) was called about a single-vehicle incident on the Sunshine Coast Highway near Cecil Hill Road, and dispatched two ambulances and a helicopter. One patient was transported to a hospital by the air ambulance in stable condition.
Ten minutes later, BCEHS got another call: another patient from a second single-vehicle incident needed transport to the hospital, also in the Cecil Hill Road area.
Pender Harbour Volunteer Fire Department fire chief Jim Cameron said the first incident was just north of the Grasshopper Pub, and it looked like the vehicle hit the rock face and rolled over on its side. Firefighters cut the roof off the truck to help the single occupant out.
What happened next is unclear, Cameron told Coast Reporter, but traffic was backed up from the first incident.
“There are lots of blind corners up there. My understanding is the motorcyclist came around the corner, the traffic was stopped and he had nowhere to go… He probably went to the side of the road to miss the cars when they stopped,” he said.
Cameron did not know the extent of the injuries to either driver. Both were airlifted to the hospital.
Over the course of the response, at least 15 firefighters attended the scene. Police officers also responded. Cameron said they were there for at least an hour and a half, and some of the firefighters stayed longer to direct traffic in areas where there were single lanes as a result of the two incidents.
“I feel proud of our guys, I thought they did a good job,” Cameron said.
