A man is air-rescued from destroyed pier, gets cheers as he leaves scene with rescuers.. (Aaron Hinks photos)

A man stranded by today’s collapse of the White Rock pier has been rescued.

A Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopter arrived at scene just before 3:30 p.m. and transferred the man to the pierhead – to cheers from bystanders – where he was attended to by paramedics before being transferred to hospital.

The pier split in half shortly after 2 p.m. today, leaving one person stranded on the far end.

The storm – with gusts of up to 100 km/h and described by BC Hydro as “one of the most severe storms BC Hydro has experienced in years” – has dealt the 100-year-old structure a vicious beating.

This footage of the #whiterock rescue is crazy! So happy the man is ok but so sad for our poor pier. #bcstorm #whiterockpier pic.twitter.com/d2Bc9H4ZgR — South Rock Buzz (@SouthRockBuzz) December 21, 2018

“It’s almost split in half,” Peace Arch News reporter Aaron Hinks said from the scene just after 2 p.m. Thursday – moments before the structure collapsed.

“There’s at least one guy stranded on the far end of the pier. He can’t cross.”

In video taken this afternoon by PAN and shared on our Facebook page, the sailboats that broke loose from their moorings can seen be smashing against the pier.

READ MORE: Windstorm wallops Surrey, White Rock

They took out the handrailing, quickly followed by a chunk of the pier deck that continued to expand in size as the minutes passed.

Emergency crews remain on the scene.

“Every organization we can think of” was contacted for assistance with the rescue, White Rock RCMP Const. Chantal Sears told PAN.

“I believe we reached out to the U.S. as well.

“Hopefully, the rest of (the pier) is structurally sound until (help arrives.)”

“This is a first-time event, ever,” Dean Donnelly of RCM-SAR5 said of the storm’s impact.

Donnelly said some pieces of the pier drifted as far as the city’s namesake, as did as least one of the sailboats. It’s estimated only eight of around 30 vesels that were moored at the pier survived.

@WhiteRockRCMP @IAFF2407 dealing with emergent situation at the pier. Marine drive will be shut down until further notice. pic.twitter.com/4ycs6WKG30 — White Rock RCMP (@WhiteRockRCMP) December 20, 2018

@MMadryga #Whiterock pier is broken. Guy is trapped on other side. Boats slammed into it pic.twitter.com/nzf9wANd1k — LLA (@leslie0866) December 20, 2018

The pier continues to take a beating, as the gap increases pic.twitter.com/LXcK96DjHP — Peace Arch News (@PeaceArchNews) December 20, 2018

Lower Mainland Yacht Club skipper Jason Johnson said the club maintains six sailboats at the end of the pier, “all of which it appears at this point have been destroyed.”

“It’s fortunate that no one was seriously injured out here.”

Johnson said he has “never seen anything like this.”

It’s “a little bit surreal,” he said. “Reminds me a little bit about the power of the ocean.”

The pier was officially opened on Nov. 14, 1914. The battering effect of storms in the decades that followed led to the addition of the breakwater in 1953.

The City of White Rock repaired and replaced damaged piles and cross-braces in April 2013; work that was deemed necessary during a 2010 inspection.

White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker said efforts are underway to secure the structure until it is safe to assess the damage.

“Holy cow, what a mess, what a devastating afternoon,” Walker told PAN just after 4:30 p.m.

Walker said Marine Drive is closed, as is Buena Vista Avenue between Oxford and Foster streets.

The city issued a news release at 3:15 p.m. Thursday advising of the pier’s closure, along with closures of Centennial Park trails and more “due to extreme weather event.”

Away from the water, a White Rock firefighter said a hydro pole near the the corner of Johnston Street and Royal Avenue was at risk of coming down. Police and firefighters were seen diverting traffic heading south.

White Rock firefighters have just told me that leaning power pole, at the corner of Royal and Johnston, could come down at any moment. Entire block of Johnston is cordoned off. @PeaceArchNews @BlackPressMedia #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/izrJpAyl6A — Kat Slepian (@katslepian) December 21, 2018

Closer to the water, a rotten egg smell near the corner of Fir Street and Victoria Avenue had residents worried about a gas leak.

Power remained on along much of Marine Drive and restaurants near the pier were packed during happy hour.

Walker said updates will continue to be posted to the city’s website (ow.ly/cKMf30n47Ns) throughout the evening and overnight.

Noting he’s been advised of storm damage to some local homes, Walker said the city’s emergency social service centre is up and running at Centennial Arena for anyone in need of the services.

He implored those curious about the impact to the pier, waterfront and other areas to stay away.

“This was a very, very strong (storm) and continues to be a very strong storm. People are kind of putting themselves in danger” by attempting the visit the sites.

The pier in particular, “we don’t want anybody getting close,” he said.

“Stay away, that’s the message.”

Despite these crazy waves, and winds, I just heard some teens run by yelling “let’s get out on the f***king pier” in White Rock. Needless to say: bad idea. @BlackPressMedia @PeaceArchNews #BCstorm pic.twitter.com/4MT3kKkTzi — Kat Slepian (@katslepian) December 21, 2018

But despite waves continuing to crash into the visibly-wobbling pier, at least half a dozen people climbed under the barricade and walked out onto the 100-year-old structure. Some appeared to be nearly at the break in the pier, as it continued to be pummelled by strong winds.

Even after a White Rock RCMP officer headed down to escort people off the pier, a group of teens ran towards it, yelling about how “sick the storm” was.

Despite the damage, Walker was also adamant that the damage does not mean an end for the pier.

“Make no mistake it will be here for another 100 years,” he said.

“We will not lose that pier. Come hell or high water, we’ll make sure we have that pier.”



tholmes@peacearchnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter</s>VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – Strong winds have been knocking trees over and blocking Vancouver Island highways.

According to reports, trees are down and blocking travellers along Highway 1 around Horne Lake.

Highway 1 along Koksilah River is also reportedly out.

Up north, downed trees and wet snow are making it difficult for travellers to drive from Port Alice to Port Hardy. Water is pooling in some areas of the road, giving slippery conditions.

There have also been various reports of downed trees knocking out power lines. Currently, approximately 260 customers are without power on Quadra Island.

Flooding has also been reported in Campbell River, with some stretches of streets barricaded and traffic rerouted.</s>Curious spectators flocked to White Rock’s waterfront to see the debris that washed up on the beach in the aftermath of Thursday’s wind storm — including three boats and chunks of the city’s landmark pier.

“I’ve lived here 50 years. I’ve never seen a storm like this, I’ve never seen the devastation like this,” said White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker said during a press briefing on Friday.

About 30 metres of the almost 500-metre-long pier washed away after it was pummelled by waves and at least three boats that had become unmoored, and one person had to be rescued by helicopter after he was trapped on the end of the broken pier. No one was hurt.

Walker said city staff haven’t yet had a chance to do a full assessment, but the pier is “extremely damaged” and will take months and likely millions of dollars to fix. He said the city has already spoken with the federal and provincial governments to hopefully get some financial assistance.

Walker called the pier “one of the jewels in our crown — it might be the primary jewel in our crown.”

“It’s essential to our community that we get the pier up and available for people to spend time on as soon as we possibly can,” he said.

As of Friday, the pier was closed, along with the nearby promenade to the east, thought there were many people walking in the area. Logs and picnic tables had been thrown on to the beach and walkway. Three boats belonging to the Lower Mainland Yacht Co-op were on the beach, along with parts of the dock to which they were attached and pieces of the pier. Smaller flotsam — plastic bottles, buoys, life jackets and pieces of Styrofoam — also littered the waterfront.

B.C. Hydro said about 155,000 customers were still without power by midday Friday and some could be in the dark for days as crews work to repair outages on Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Valley.

“Yesterday’s windstorm was one of the most severe storms B.C. Hydro has experienced in years,” a post on the utility’s website said.

At its height, about 400,000 customers lost electricity and many remained without power overnight.

Environment Canada says gusts topped 100 km/h just south of Vancouver and in parts of the Fraser Valley, making the storm more powerful than the 2006 gales that levelled a large section of forest in Stanley Park.

The City of Nanaimo issued a statement Friday saying the storm caused its water treatment plant to break down.

While the water is safe to drink, the city urged its residents and businesses to restrict their use until the full system is restored, in order to preserve enough for firefighting emergencies.

The city’s emergency operations centre has been activated and staff are preparing contingency plans in the event that the water treatment plant does not return to full operating capacity soon.

City pools and arenas are closed until further notice.

One woman died when a tree fell on her tent in a wooded area near Duncan, RCMP said.

There were four other people in the tent and two male occupants were also injured. One was airlifted, and the other was transported by ambulance, to hospital for treatment.

The B.C. Coroners Service is in the early stages of its investigation and can release no further details at this time, it said.

“Our investigation will look at how she died, where and by what means,” spokesman Andy Watson said.

All wind warnings have been dropped and service is getting back to normal on B.C. Ferries routes after most sailings were cancelled Thursday.

The first sailings Friday were already full on most major routes, while power outages at smaller terminals were affecting those schedules.

Service also returned to normal Friday for transit passengers in Metro Vancouver, after trains along the Expo and Canada lines experienced significant delays and shutdowns due to debris on the tracks.

Four Metro Vancouver parks — Tynehead, Deas Island, Belcarra and Pacific Spirit — remained closed on Friday due to potential injury from falling trees and other debris. A section of the Dyke Trail was closed in Boundary Bay park because of flooding and debris. Regional parks staff are conducting assessments of all sites hit by the storm.
• B.C. wind storm: White Rock pier split in two, ferries cancelled, hundreds of thousands lose power</s>Thousands of Metro Vancouver residents remain without power, a day after a powerful wind storm swept over B.C.’s South Coast, causing widespread damage.

And, B.C. Hydro says it could be days before some customers have their lights back on.

B.C. Hydro crews were busy through the night, yet early on Friday morning nearly 60,000 customers in the Lower Mainland, and more than 80,000 on Vancouver Island were still without power.

A post on the B.C. Hydro website said the windstorm was “one of the most severe storms” B.C. Hydro has experienced in years, causing extensive damage to electrical infrastructure across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley.

“All available crews and resources will be working around the clock until all damage is repaired. Due to the extent of the damage, many customers will be without power overnight and for some customers it could be days. We appreciate your patience and will continue to provide updates as available,” B.C. Hydro said, in the post.

Nine schools in Abbotsford remained closed Friday because of the continued power outages. The affected schools are:

On Thursday, the wind storm knocked down trees across the region, sent objects flying, forced ferry cancellations, and caused traffic woes and delays on SkyTrain.

In White Rock, high winds sent loose boats crashing into the pier, splitting it in two and stranding one individual at the far end.

For more on Thursday’s storm read Postmedia’s story here.

On Friday, Environment Canada had lifted the wind warning, and the weather was expected to be much calmer, with sunshine in the forecast. The agency released a summary of the wind activity during the storm, saying gusts reached more than 100 km/h in Abbotsford, 111 km/h in Tofino, 89 km/h in Vancouver, and 128 km/h at Sandheads Lighthouse in the Fraser River.

B.C. Ferries said early Friday that there were no service notices and all sailings were running as normal. However, travellers should expect a backlog of travellers after all the major routes were shut down on Thursday because of the storm.

On Vancouver Island, the storm may be linked to at least one fatality. A man died in Duncan, but the B.C. Coroners Service said there was no official cause of death yet, though confirmed it involved a fallen tree.

With files from The Times Colonist</s>The man who ended up on the wrong side of a crumbling pier during a "devastating," deadly windstorm on Thursday says he wants to apologize for his "foolishness."

Oren Perry, 42, was caught on the far end of the pier in White Rock, B.C., after it collapsed in the early afternoon. Waves churned by 90 km/h winds had ripped nearby boats from their moorings and sent them crashing into the century-old pier, beating against the wooden beams until they cracked apart.

Other people on the pier ran back to safety at the first signs of collapse, but Perry says he didn't feel safe.

"Embarrassing. That's about it," he said of being the only one caught on the wrong side.

The mayor of White Rock said Thursday's windstorm was the worst he's seen in his 50 years as a city resident. Gales led to fallen trees across the province's South Coast, killing one woman on Vancouver Island and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes over the course of the day.

Hopes to wait it out

Perry went to the beach with his wife and son around noon Thursday. They were storm-watching from the beach promenade, but Perry's wife and son went inside a restaurant for a break when the weather worsened.

"The waves were a little bit too big for my son, who's two, and he was nervous," Perry said over the phone Friday.

Alone, he decided to walk down the pier to join the crowd watching the waves and boats — "the excitement of the storm," he said, adding that he's watched storms from the pier before.

Perry said it took a few "tries" before boats started to break through the beams holding up the 104-year-old pier.

"At first, I was stuck with some other people and it didn't seem like it was safe enough to cross, and I thought, 'Well, the storm is going to die down in about an hour and we'll just wait it out,'" Perry said.

He said he walked further out to get away from the break. Meanwhile, RCMP were onshore shouting for people on the pier to sprint to safety.

Everyone did, except Perry.

"I guess the police showed up to encourage the other people to run through, but I didn't know ... then I wasn't close enough to make it a make across in time," he said. "It didn't seem like it was safe enough to cross."

Eventually, a section of the pier tore away from the rest and left a gap over the ocean.

Perry said he hoped to wait out the storm on the far end of the pier, but a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter from Vancouver Island lifted him to shore just after 3:30 p.m.

"I just felt foolish. Especially with everybody watching onshore," said Perry.

"Shout-out to the first responders. They did a great job — all of them," he added. "And I have to apologize to everybody for getting stuck out there."

The pier was open when Perry walked across. RCMP shut down the area after the collapse and it remained closed Friday.</s>VANCOUVER — A person who was stranded on a pier in White Rock, B.C., has been rescued after part of the structure collapsed in strong winds.

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says on Twitter one of its helicopters successfully hoisted the person to safety.

Parts of southern British Columbia were hit by a powerful wind storm today that left thousands of BC Hydro customers without power on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.

BC Hydro says about 330,000 customers late Thursday afternoon didn’t have electricity on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning for those areas saying a powerful low pressure system was sweeping into the B.C. coast, bringing winds in the range of 70 to 90 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h.

The winds also prompted cancellations or delays at BC Ferries for sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen to Duke Point and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands.

Rainfall warnings were posted for Howe Sound, the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada saying 50 millimetres could drench those regions by Friday.

Snowfall or winter storm warnings were also up for mountain passes to and from the Interior with Environment Canada advising of rapidly accumulating snow on sections of a number of highways including the Sea-to-Sky, Coquihalla, Highway 3 and Highway 1 between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass.</s>VANCOUVER — Police say a person is trapped on a pier in White Rock, B.C., after part of the structure collapsed in strong winds.

RCMP Const. Chantal Sears says a rescue team has been sent out.

Parts of southern British Columbia were hit by a powerful wind storm today that left thousands of BC Hydro customers without power on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.

BC Hydro says about 100,000 customers didn’t have electricity on Vancouver Island shortly after midday, while the lights were out for almost 130,000 in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning for those areas saying a powerful low pressure system was sweeping into the B.C. coast, bringing winds in the range of 70 to 90 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h.

The winds also prompted cancellations or delays at BC Ferries for sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen to Duke Point and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands.

Rainfall warnings were posted for Howe Sound, the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada saying 50 millimetres could drench those regions by Friday.

Snowfall or winter storm warnings were also up for mountain passes to and from the Interior with Environment Canada advising of rapidly accumulating snow on sections of a number of highways including the Sea-to-Sky, Coquihalla, Highway 3 and Highway 1 between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass.</s>VANCOUVER — White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker says it could take months and millions of dollars to repair the city's beloved pier after part of it was ripped away during an intense windstorm that swept British Columbia's southern coast.

It's one of several communities dealing with the aftermath of Thursday's storm, which BC Hydro is describing as among the most severe in many years.

The 457 metre pier will be closed until further notice after several boats broke away from their moorings and battered the middle of the pier, eventually collapsing a 30-metre section, Walker said.

"The damage that was done to our pier appears to be something that will take some months for us to recoup from, it's extremely damaged," he said.

The force of the waves also tossed logs and concrete picnic tables onto the popular promenade along the city's waterfront and Walker said that area will be cordoned off while repairs are made.

One person was trapped at the end of the pier and had to be airlifted by helicopter to safety at the height of the storm but no one was hurt.

BC Hydro said about 155,000 customers were still without power by midday Friday and some could be in the dark for days as crews work to repair outages on Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Valley.

"Yesterday's windstorm was one of the most severe storms BC Hydro has experienced in years," a post on the utility's website said.

At its height, about 400,000 customers lost electricity and many remained without power overnight.

Environment Canada says gusts topped 100 km/h just south of Vancouver and in parts of the Fraser Valley, making the storm more powerful than the 2006 gales that levelled a large section of forest in Stanley Park.</s>Crews were called to White Rock on Thursday to conduct a rescue after someone became trapped on the city’s seaside pier.

Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordinateion Centre spokesperson Katelyn Moores said a helicopter crew was able to successfully pluck the person to safety just after 3:30 p.m.

READ MORE: More than 300,000 without power as windstorm hits B.C.’s South Coast

“So the damage to the pier and the rough seas were preventing rescue by land and water, so we tasked a helicopter form 442 Transport and Rescue squadron in Comox to respond, they were able to reach the individual and assist them,” she said.

The situation began shaping up around 2 p.m. when a number of sailboats broke free from their mooring due to a powerful windstorm and blew into the pier, according to witnesses.

Photographer Leslie Achtymichuk, who lives nearby, said she went to see what was going on when her barbecue blew away in the wind, and saw waves topping the breakwaters in the bay.

“Half of the sailboats broke loose and they just started flying in the air a bit and finally slamming into the pier and there was a guy trapped on the other side,” she said.

Video from the scene showed the boats slamming repeatedly into the pier while curious onlookers stood nearby.

“It took about a half an hour for the boats to actually break through the pier, like they just kept pounding and pounding and pounding and after about 40 minutes, it just broke a whole section apart,” King said.

“As soon as it started to break away, he was stranded and the other guys backed off.”

Const. Chantal Sears with the White Rock RCMP said police and firefighters have now blocked the pier off to the public.

The rescue came in the nick of time.

King said as a second group of sailboats had also broken free and was threatening to damage the pier further.

“So the guy [was] in between the gap and where the boats are going to start slamming against the pier again, so if that goes, he’s basically on an island,” he said.</s>Vancouver Island is dealing with a lot of cleanup from the storm on Thursday.

Nanaimo residents are being told not to use tap water until further notice as the city’s water treatment plant has been compromised.

The city says pools are also closed because people can’t take showers prior to getting into the water as per health and safety regulations.

Arenas are closed because the ice can’t be cleaned and bathrooms are not available in the facilities.

READ MORE: More than 150,000 without power in aftermath of B.C. windstorm

On Saltspring Island, downed trees have damaged water infrastructure in the Fernwood area, so that part of the island is under a boil-water advisory.

In Duncan, a woman was killed when a tree fell on the tent she was in during the morning winds. North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say the tree came crashing down on the tent with five people inside at approximately 11:25 a.m.

Five people were inside at the time and two other men were injured.

Travel is also impacted as several major routes are closed by downed trees.

A section of Highway 4 near Port Alberni, known as “The Hump” was closed overnight, stranding some travellers in their cars or the community.

Crews worked overnight to clear toppled trees and other debris, as well as restore power.

READ MORE: Pender Island on virtual lockdown after windstorm brings down 50 trees, cuts power to whole community

Pender Island is also cleaning up Friday after the storm knocked down about 50 trees all over the island.

Police are asking people not to come to Pender Island until BC Hydro crews have been able to clear the roads.

About 80,000 BC Hydro customers remain without power as of noon on Friday across Vancouver Island.
Severe windstorms in Vancouver and Vancouver Island damage houses, damage roads, and destroy a 100 year old pier in White Rock, British Columbia. One person stranded on the pier is rescued by helicopter. Several highways were closed due to trees falling.