A Vancouver woman is sharing the frightening experience of nearly being hit by a window that fell from a downtown tower.
Val Jones was walking near Canada Place on Saturday afternoon when the incident happened. She had just rounded the corner at Burrard and Cordova streets when she heard a crash behind her.
“When I looked back, I just saw glass shattering everywhere,” she said. “Literally five feet from me.”
She was stunned at first, but soon realized a window had fallen from above.
“It was just kind of surreal. I was trying to figure out what happened.”
Others on the street saw it too, she said, including a family with young children and a driver who stopped when glass hit their car.
A worker came out of the Fairmont Pacific Rim building and went across the street to see where the glass had fallen from, Jones said. At that point, she went to a coffee shop to collect herself, her heart still racing.
“It didn’t really hit me until after, what could’ve happened. I’m super grateful I wasn’t hit by it. I don’t think I’d be here.”
Daily Hive reached out to the Fairmont Pacific Rim for comment but has not heard back.
The Fairmont Pacific Rim Estates and the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel occupy the same building at 1011 West Cordova Street. The hotel occupies all floors below 22, and the residences are on floors 23 through 45.
Jones had heard stories of people throwing objects from balconies in big cities but never expected something to come crashing down so close to her.
“I wanted to share not to make people afraid, but just to let people know these things happen,” she said.
Daily Hive reached out to the Vancouver Police Department for comment; however, the force has not responded.