'Quite amazing': Island team rescues hundreds stranded in B.C. landslide

They’re normally used to assisting one or two people at a time, but crews from the 442 Search and Transport Squadron out of CFB Comox found themselves assisting more than 300 people on Monday.

Crews flew aboard three Cormorant helicopters to evacuate motorists trapped along Highway 7 outside of Agassiz, B.C. between two landslides that occurred Sunday evening.

"I would say I picked up more people yesterday than I have in the entire rest of my career since I started this," said Maj. John McSheffrey, an Aircraft Commander and pilot with the Vancouver Island-based squadron.

The three aircraft were dispatched to the Lower Mainland on Monday to conduct a series of multiple flights between the slide zone and to where evacuees were dropped off some eight miles, or five minutes, away.

Crews evacuated 311 people, 26 dogs and one cat during those trips.

"It felt a little overwhelming yesterday just picking up loads of people so quickly and with so many bodies," said McSheffrey. "But when we took a step back at the end of the day we were pretty happy with the outcome for sure."

Sgt. Nigel Donley was a Search and Rescue Technician aboard one of the Cormorants.

"When we arrived on scene it took us some time to establish a landing area," said Donley. "But once we had that, all the people that were stranded were lined up and ready to go. They were being managed by the ground search and rescue team."

The landing scene was complicated because of the difficult terrain and the slide debris.