Armed Forces helicopter crew met with grilled cheese and kindness after being grounded along Fraser River
CBC
When heavy fog forced a Canadian Armed Forces helicopter crew from Quebec to make an emergency landing last week on the banks of the Fraser River near Yale, B.C., they were not expecting the series of generous events that followed.
Fog and darkness had rolled in quickly on Nov. 23 after Capt. Julien Brideau and his crew departed Boston Bar on their way back to the airport in Abbotsford.
The crew of four, which included a B.C. doctor, had been on a medical mission, helping flood-impacted patients in the region.
"On our way back, the fog banks were getting bigger as we were winding down the valley," said Brideau, with the 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. "We made the good decision to land."
But the only spot wide enough was a sandbank by the Fraser River, and with rain in the forecast, he worried the river could flood.
Nearby, Yale residents Randall Gardner and Melina Barnes heard the sound of the helicopter's rotors, so they set off to investigate.
As Brideau saw their two flashlights approaching, he had his crew turn off the helicopter.
Gardner shared the pilot's concerns about flooding and suggested a better spot uphill.
"I went up the hill with them and looked at the area, and as we were discussing, I was like, 'Yeah it's a little tight still," Brideau said.
"[Gardner] said, 'I've got a chainsaw, just tell me which trees you want me to cut.'"
Gardner sawed down trees to create a makeshift landing pad for the helicopter and used his flashlight to guide it to the safer location by the highway.
Brideau said it's just one example of the teamwork and cooperation he's seen from ordinary British Columbians since the squadron's deployment from its base in Quebec.
"They were really happy to help," Brideau said.
And they weren't the only ones.