A semi-trailer truck has plunged 18 metres off a highway bridge into a lake in Sicamous, B.C., about 100 kilometres east of Kamloops, and emergency officials say the driver is missing.
Sicamous RCMP said in a press release around 2:45 p.m. PT. Saturday afternoon that they initially responded to the incident around 6:45 a.m. PT.
RCMP divers were initially sent to the site and they have now been replaced by private divers, Sicamous Fire Rescue said, adding recovery operations are set to continue on Sunday morning.
The Bruhn bridge, which was closed in both directions for most of the day Saturday, is now open under controlled conditions with a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour, as reported by DriveBC.
⚠️UPDATE – <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BCHwy1</a> – The RW Bruhn Bridge in <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sicamous?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Sicamous</a> has reopened in both directions with a reduced speed limit of 30 km/hr. <a href=”https://t.co/iUF4VabMqw”>https://t.co/iUF4VabMqw</a> <a href=”https://t.co/McHZ6ufNQo”>https://t.co/McHZ6ufNQo</a>
—@DriveBC
The RCMP initially reported that the bridge deck sustained “significant damage,” and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure stated that it is assessing the site.
The B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) told CBC News that it dispatched two ground ambulances to the initial scene of the semi-truck crash and that paramedics did not transport any patients to hospital.
Tracy Hughes, the District of Sicamous co-ordinator, told CBC News that the truck fell into the Mara Lake side of the bridge in an area locally known as the Sicamous Channel, where Mara Lake and Shuswap Lake meet.
The incident appears to have caused diesel fuel to spill in the water, officials said.
The district said Interior Health has been alerted about the spill, but there doesn’t appear to be a significant risk to the area’s drinking water supplies.
In addition, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District asked the public to avoid the area including the Sicamous Beach Park and the Sicamous Narrows so emergency responders can work.