First responders from Port Moody aided in bringing Fraser Valley residents to safety after they were left stranded by flooding.
Fire rescue (PMFR) sent its marine unit to Abbotsford Tuesday night (Nov. 16), days after heavy rainfall overflowed nearby rivers and tributaries and turned the city's southeast region into a lake.
Around 8 p.m., Port Moody personnel assisted Abbotsford firefighters to rescue five adults and one large dog near the Sumas canal after deploying its zodiac boat from a westbound lane on Highway 1.
"Deputy Chief Jason Harper organized the deployment and responded with the boat; Captain Piffer and Firefighter Jenkins less than an hour later," explained PMFR Chief Darcey O'Riordan to the Tri-City News.
"An incredible effort by all agencies considering the conditions and temperatures overnight."
Other Lower Mainland agencies involved in rescuing residents included Coquitlam Search and Rescue (CSAR).
By this morning (Nov. 17), the Fraser River dropped about two metres, which led to receding floodwaters at Sumas Prairie.
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said the water levels need to drop another metre before the city can open up the floodgates at Barrowtown.
That will allow seven times more water to spill out into the Fraser River than the pumps could ever manage.
- with files from Stefan Labbé, Glacier Media
