Fundraising efforts are underway for a man whose residence and leg were damaged in last week’s storm.
The Bottle Shop confirmed Monday that they’ve been raising money to help Al Robert, whose home was damaged during the severe storm that ripped through the Shuswap Wednesday evening.
Sicamous RCMP said Robert was in the bedroom of his Sicamous Creek Mobile Home Park residence when a tree fell through the roof and into the bedroom, injuring his leg. Robert was still able to crawl through the damaged portion to get outside and call for help.
Police and paramedics were also called out to a Swansea Point residence where a tree fell on the house and injured a woman inside. She was treated for minor injuries.
At about 5 p.m., police and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station #106 members had to brave the choppy waters of Shuswap Lake in response to a 911 call relating to a houseboat near Neilsen Beach. Const. Dusty Miller said it was reported the boat had been caught up in the storm and one of its crew had gone overboard.
“Basically, it was pushed up against the rocks and it was swamped so it couldn’t run anymore,” said Miller of the vessel.
Upon arrival, rescuers learned the missing person was still on the boat below deck. However, Miller said three of the houseboat’s occupants suffered minor injuries as the houseboat was being tossed around by the waves. They were taken to hospital for treatment, and the houseboat was eventually docked at the Shark Shack.
A fallen tree also hit power lines along Highway 97A near Gillis Avenue, resulting in a temporary highway closure. Meanwhile, east of Sicamous, the storm knocked down power lines at Craigellachie, resulting in the highway being shut down for a couple of hours. The combination of wind, rain and falling trees resulted in power outages throughout the Shuswap, including Sicamous where 3,900 properties were left without power until the following afternoon.