Corporal Jeff Witzke
Columbia Valley RCMP
This past week, July 10 to July 16, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 72 calls for service. The following is a summary of some of the files our officers responded to:
On July 12, officers received an SOS from a Garmin Inreach device where two hikers needed help. They had encountered a bear while hiking, then were caught in a rain storm and were now soaked with no shelter or dry clothes. Windermere Valley Search and Rescue was dispatched, and with the use of a helicopter located and transported the hikers back to Invermere just prior to sunset.
On July 13, police were travelling northbound on Hwy 93-95 near Radium Hot Springs when they observed an oncoming vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed. The said vehicle was clocked at 144 km/h on the police vehicle’s radar. A traffic stop was conducted where the driver was issued a ticket for excessive speed and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.
On July 13, officers responded to a report of some campers having a fire, which turned out to be a small camp fire.
According to the government of B.C., 1.2 million hectares of land in the province has burned this year due to wildfires. As of July 10, there is a complete fire ban for the majority of the province, including the Columbia Valley. The RCMP and conservation officers will be enforcing this ban. Fines for having a camp fire are $1,150.
