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Central Okanagan rescue crews respond to tragic Christmas Eve bus crash

Local crews brave bus crash

"It's been a busy Christmas for us, that's for sure. It just feels like if it could happen, it has."

West Kelowna Fire Rescue Chief Jason Brolund laments a deadly Christmas season that saw an Ebus crash on Christmas Eve, killing four people with 42 others sent to hospital. The crash happened east of Merritt near the Loon Lake exit.

Brolund tells Castanet that he and many of the people who responded to the Christmas Eve crash were celebrating with friends and family when they got the news.

"Certainly, it's one you remember, it's one of those scenarios that we plan for, but then you hope never happens, especially, at this time."

Brolund says West Kelowna sent two vehicles and four firefighters to help as part of the Central Okanagan emergency response effort. Once they arrived they realized the incident was much further west than they typically respond.

The Merritt Fire Department was first on scene so the West Kelowna role shifted to assisting them the best they could.

"(The) information we initially received, in terms of what had happened was very clear that there had been a bus accident and there were a number of people who were injured and in need of help. So I think that helped solidify the fact that we needed to have a response and I think that drove how we across the Okanagan decided to respond to the incident."

Brolund calls the response a real positive and he praised the regional rescue program which was designed just for this type of tragedy.

"We were able to cooperate with the Peachland Fire Department, the Kelowna Fire Department as well as work with Merritt Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance Services. So to have four or fire departments responding to that accident, in very short order, I think was one of the real strong points of our regional rescue program.

"There were certainly a number of people from our department who gave up their Christmas Eve celebrations to either go to or come in and make sure that we were still able to provide fire service to the city when we go up to the connector like that. The time being Christmas Eve, the weather being horrible. You know, the thought of that number of people in need of help in a very remote and isolated location and very poor conditions."

Ebus resumed service in B.C. Tuesday following Saturday night's deadly bus crash on the Okanagan Connector.
The company temporarily suspended its operations across the province Sunday and Monday. "Due to deteriorating weather conditions, we will be temporarily pausing our routes in B.C. ... We will resume service tomorrow, Dec 27," Ebus said in a brief statement Monday.

"Our hearts go out to everybody that was affected by this. There was a large number of people on the bus, and those people all had friends and family that were waiting for them at their destination and who had seen them off from their point of departure. So I think this one touched a lot of people across a very wide area. You know, we're very sad about the loss. And, you know, we really just wish everybody the best who was involved," Brolund says.

RCMP have taken over the investigation into the crash but has already indicated they believe icy weather conditions were a factor in the incident. The Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement department has also launched its own investigation and the bus is still being held as evidence.

There are still seven people in hospital as of Tuesday. Two patients had been listed in serious condition on Sunday, but their conditions have since improved.

Investigators have asked anyone who witnessed the collision or who has dashcam video of the bus before the crash to contact their local RCMP detachment.

It was the second crash on the same stretch of highway involving an Ebus in four days.

An Ebus crashed into a semi on Tuesday last week. No serious injuries were reported as a result of that incident.

Brolund also wants to thank the members of the public who came upon the horrific scene and stopped to help, "the people who stopped initially when it happened, and you know, how grateful we are to the public for their assistance, because, obviously, being where I was, you know, it takes time for emergency responders to get there. So we're grateful to those people who really were the first ones who responded."

Castanet has reached out to Ebus for comment but have not received a response.



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