They had to go back to medieval times to find a solution, but a couple that used a moat system to save their Okanagan Lake property appear to be winning the battle.

While back in the day moats were sometimes filled with water to keep marauders out, in this case Cindy and Jerry Brassard have used a moat to keep the marauding waters of the lake from their door in the Louis Estates, at the north end of the lake near Vernon.

“You learn,” said Cindy Brassard. “You have a wall and then you have an area which is your moat and then you have another wall so if (the water) knocks down or comes over the first one and you have the pumps in the middle, if you have enough pumps you can keep the water out.”

It has taken 6,000 sandbags, a lot of hard work and the help of many volunteers, including the leaseholders, Ceil and Carol Louis who've battled to help save the 67 homes on that portion of Okanagan Indian Band land.

The damage is enormous and many of the Brassards' neighbours have given up the battle, some of whom fought until last Thursday's big storm wiped out their sandbag walls, leaving behind security guards to keep watch. 

But they didn't have a moat.