A road washout has turned fatal after it claimed the lives of two vehicles in Sarita River.
Port Alberni RCMP say around 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 19 they received a call for a missing person of an overdue traveler who was driving from Bamfield to Victoria but failed to report in.
They added a similar call came in around an hour later for another missing person coming from Bamfield to Port Alberni, but this time the traveler’s dog had been located by good Samaritans who contacted the family.
Around 9:00 p.m. police say the family of one of the missing people were able to locate their loved one’s truck, but because of the nature of the weather, the family were unable to determine if anyone was in it.
The missing driver was located deceased a short time after and only a short distance away.
Police say the second vehicle was in Sarita River, and with search and rescue monitoring the waterway a swift search was conducted of the missing vehicle was done and they located the missing person inside.
With the recent rainfall, police are warning everyone to stay away from the Sarita River area because the currents can cause flooding and possibly death if anyone goes near it.
They say anyone attempting to cross flooded roads can be extremely dangerous.
