An RCMP officer and his prisoner were rescued by helicopter Tuesday night, Dec. 1, after a foot chase left them at the bottom of a ravine in Southeast British Columbia.
Midway RCMP chased a 47-year-old Bridesville man seen fleeing a suspected burglary in-progress at a town home at around 3 p.m., Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in a news release Wednesday, Dec. 2.
The suspect then “jumped into” a ravine near the 1600 block of Fish Lake Road, falling several times into a stretch of Rock Creek 400 feet below.
An officer who climbed down the embankment apprehended the suspect around two hours later, but the pair was unable to climb back up to the road because the suspect was suffering from acute hypothermia.
RCMP called for an air medevac rescue by Canadian Armed Forces in Comox, after Mounties responding from Osoyoos and other detachments were unable to extricate the stranded officer and suspect. A military search and rescue squad then sent an airplane and a Cormorant helicopter, which airlifted the suspect to hospital at around 9:20 p.m, O’Donaghey said.
The Midway Mountie was rescued at 10:15 p.m., without the need for medical attention.
The rescued suspect remains in police custody and O’Donaghey said he “awaits further charges.”
Police apprehended four other suspects at the scene of the alleged burglary. O’Donaghey described them as a 44-year-old man, 45-year-old man, 35-year-old woman and a 51-year-old woman, all of the Bridesville area. Each face potential charges and are expected to appear in court at a later date.
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