Johnson Landing search changed to recovery mission after body found Sunday
By Bruce Fuhr
The BC Coroners Service announced during a briefing Sunday in Kaslo the rescue operation at Johnson Landing has been changed to a recovery operation.
“You were informed this afternoon that the site had no longer deemed a search and rescue operation but now would be a recovery operation,” Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe told the media at Sunday evening’s briefing.
Lapointe and disaster management specialist coroner Steve Fonseca were called to the site of the disaster Sunday afternoon.
“The BC Coroners Service is now assessing options now for the recovery of the deceased,” Lapointe added.
Lapointe said rescue teams confirmed that searchers found one human body Sunday afternoon Johnson Landing mudslide.
Lapointe said that is believed to be the body of Valentine Webber, however that has not been confirmed.
Four people from Johnson Landing — Webber and his two daughters, Rachel and Diana Webber along with a German visitor Petra Frehse — were caught in a massive landslide that roared down Gar Creek Thursday in Johnson Landing north of Kaslo.
Search and rescue teams, including the HUSAR (Heavy Urban Search and Rescue) from Vancouver, have been in the area trying to find the missing residents.
However, Sunday, following a solid day of searching after two days of waiting for the site to stabilize, crews made the grim discovery, which changed the focus of the mission to involve the Coroners Service.
This decision came after the unified command structure on site concluded, reluctantly, that there was no longer any hope that anyone who had been caught in the slide could be found alive.
“The search for the remaining missing people are underway at the site,” Lapointe explained.
“We have an identification specialist there and will provide updates as they come in.”
Lapointe said next of kin for both families have been notified.
Now that the mission has been turned over to the Coroners Service, the provincial body will now conduct an assessment to determine the possibility and feasibility of further recovery efforts.
Lapointe said the Coroners Service would also begin efforts immediately to confirm identification of the body found on Sunday and do what they can to assist in the recovery of the remains.
Until the assessment has been completed, the Coroners Service is not prepared to speculate on what the next steps might be.
Lapointe added it remains unclear just how long the assessment process might take.
Sunday crews concentrated on the homes destroyed in the slide that measured 2,000 metres long, 100-200 metres wide and at least three to five metres deep.
Searchers focused on the highest probability sites based on mapping, GPS and best information from community.
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