A 22-year-old Kelowna woman is alive, thanks to the actions of the Sicamous Fire Department.

Around 7 p.m. On Sunday, June 11, the woman was visiting Two Mile Falls with her boyfriend.

She fell off one of the rocks and was carried downstream over two smaller falls in Sicamous Creek, before he was able to climb onto a large rock protruding from the raging water.

Police and Shuswap Search and Rescue, a team that has special swift-water training and equipment, were also called. But, Sicamous Fire Chief

Brett Ogino said that, while there were some challenges, four members of the Sicamous Fire Department have rope training and swift water training and decided to effect a rescue.

香蕉视频直播淥ur assessment was that she had been there for a bit and was probably suffering from hypothermia,香蕉视频直播� he says, noting the woman had slipped from a viewing point at the bottom of Two Mile Falls, dropped 20 feet down two smaller falls and another forty or fifty feet before climbing onto a rock and holding onto that for dear life and screaming. 香蕉视频直播淏y the time we got her off the rock, she was pretty terrified.香蕉视频直播�

Ogino says the woman is very lucky in that the water level had come down over the previous couple of days and she was able to climb onto the isolated rock as there are 香蕉视频直播渘asty piles of trees and swift water香蕉视频直播� below.

香蕉视频直播淚f she had fallen off the rock, she would have been in serious trouble,香蕉视频直播� he adds.

He says firefighters were very concerned for the woman and it was difficult not to rush across the fast-moving creek to rescue her.

But rescue required thoughtful and careful preparation before firefighter Dan Roddick, who has swift-water-awareness training, was ready to cross the creek to harness the woman and get her safely to shore.

香蕉视频直播淪he was very cold but still responding and talking when we got her off the rocks and up the hill to the ambulance,香蕉视频直播� he says, noting when Shuswap SAR team members arrived, he accompanied them down to the site, told them what the fire department had done and asked for advice.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e very lucky; we are not equipped, but we were able to make decisions to save her life,香蕉视频直播� he says, noting he can understand SAR concerns that firefighters did not wait 40 minutes more for the Salmon Arm-based SAR swift-water team to arrive. 香蕉视频直播淲e know from the experts香蕉视频直播� perspective it was not a textbook rescue, but it saved her life.香蕉视频直播�

Ogino says despite the fact the dramatic creek rescue was the first he has been involved with in his 20 years of experience, the costs of training and buying and maintaining the equipment, the department will definitely look at getting swift-water equipment in the future.

While Ogingo spoke only to the rescue operation itself, Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz and Chief Administrative Officer Evan Parliament were quick to praise the firefighters and their efforts.

香蕉视频直播淭hese guys are so humble they don香蕉视频直播檛 say anything; they don香蕉视频直播檛 look for recognition, they just do what they do,香蕉视频直播� said Parliament Monday.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 be any more proud of our fire department. The were the first to arrive at the location and that was probably a major component in saving this person香蕉视频直播檚 life,香蕉视频直播� said Rysz. 香蕉视频直播淪ince we got Brett as full-time fire chief, we can respond a lot quicker, our fire department has developed incredible skills and a high level of training. We香蕉视频直播檙e so fortunate to have the group we have here; they香蕉视频直播檙e volunteers and they香蕉视频直播檙e passionate, well trained and very humble.香蕉视频直播�