Skip to content

Safety concerns lead to temporary suspension of search at Johnsons Landing landslide site

Concerns around stability and safety have led to the temporary suspension of the search for the missing residents of Johnsons Landing.
35150westernstar07_13JohnsonsLanding2
Issues around stability have caused search and rescue teams to temporarily call of the search at the Johnsons Landing landslide.

Nelson and Kaslo search and rescue teams along with the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) from Vancouver have temporarily called-off the search for the four missing residents of Johnsons Landing.

"There were meetings very early this morning about resuming the search and the HUSAR team, who arrived with an initial squad last night, flew the area last night and they’ve called in additional man power and resources and there is ungoing stability and safety issues at the slide site," said spokesperson for the Regional District of Central Kootenay Bill Macpherson.

The slide came through the community north of Kaslo yesterday morning destroying three homes and four residents are missing.

"I just got an update and there is debris being discharged into the area," said Macpherson. "I know there won’t be anyone physically at the site until the movement stops."

Some residents of Johnsons Landing have been evacuated, while others remain with emergency personel.

"The stability of that whole slide area is of enough concern that incident commander is not having anyone on the ground there now," said Macpherson. "Obviously it is something that they’d like to do."

The CBC spoke to the mother of two of the missing residents this morning, who voiced concerns about the search and rescue operation after hearing from neighbours in Johnsons Landing that the search had stopped.