A West Vancouver firefighter nearly died Thursday after he was seriously injured on an off-duty jetboating trip on the Squamish River.
The 42-year-old, who lives in Squamish, was on a guided adventure tour with fellow firefighters when a tree branch overhanging the river speared his upper arm and torso, puncturing an artery.
"It caused some serious damage," said Sgt. Wayne Pride of the Squamish RCMP. "He lost a lot of blood."
Quick action by his colleagues in the boat saved the man's life.
"The crew he was with was the best he could have been with," said Pride.
The man was rushed by ambulance to hospital in Squamish, and airlifted down to Vancouver General Hospital shortly after, where he underwent emergency surgery. "I don't think he's out of the water yet in regard to his injuries," said Pride.
Pride said several other people in the boat also suffered minor injuries including concussions
Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board are now investigating whether the tour operator was properly licenced and following safety regulations at the time. Nothing in the investigation points to drugs, alcohol or dangerous behaviour by passengers in the boat, said Pride.
"It's pretty wild in some parts of the river," he said.
A man who answered the phone at Squamish RiverJet and identified himself as a manager confirmed there had been an accident on the river but refused to say if his company had been involved. "I couldn't shed any light on that for you," he said.
The injured firefighter - a married father of two - remained in hospital at press time. There was no immediate word on his condition.
