ON Sunday (July 29), at approximately 2:50 p.m. Squamish RCMP responded to multiple calls regarding a man and woman who had been swept away in the fast moving water of Rubble Creek located in the Garibaldi Lake Provincial Park. A 27-year-old man from Surrey and a 23-year-old woman from Burnaby were hiking in the area and decided to cool down in Rubble Creek when the incident occurred.
The man was able to get himself safely to shore with minor injuries, but the woman was carried away in the swift current. Squamish RCMP, Squamish Fire, BC Ambulance, BC Parks, and Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton Search and Rescue (SAR) attended. SAR required the expertise of their swift water teams to rescue the man as the white water of Rubble Creek was so intense. The woman was located dead by the SAR teams around 7:30 p.m. She was found approximately 800 metres downstream from where she fell in.
“Squamish RCMP as well as the Search and Rescue Teams from the Squamish area have seen far too many tragic incidents over the past few months,” said Cpl. Sascha Banks. “We want people to come and see our beautiful area and explore but you need to be aware, to be prepared, to be educated, to be safe, and to understand the fast moving waters in this region. Be knowledgeable about undercurrents, rocks, snow and glacier-fed waters, and if you don’t know, ask those who do.”
The BC Coroner’s Service has now taken over the investigation and the Squamish RCMP have notified the woman’s family but her name will not be released at this time.