Helicopter helps with northern Alberta campground evacuation forced by rising river levels

The RCMP said officers were called to help evacuate a camping area near Grande Prairie, Alta. on Saturday after rising water levels on the Smokey River caused concerns.

Police said they were called to help campers get out of the McLeod Flats area at around noon.

“Police observed several camping trailers wheel high in the rising river,” the RCMP said in a news release Sunday.

According to Mounties, all people in the area were accounted for, however, two people became stranded on a small island they said was formed by the rising water.

A STARS air ambulance helicopter was flown in to rescue both people.

The RCMP release came as its search for a missing boater along the Smokey River continued after getting underway on Saturday.

READ MORE: Helicopters look for boater missing on northern Alberta river amid ‘dangerous search conditions’

On Sunday, helicopters were being used in the search effort but a ground search was suspended because the RCMP said the Smokey River’s rising water levels had created “dangerous search conditions.”

READ MORE: Alberta Environment issues high streamflow advisory for Whitecourt area

Meanwhile, Alberta Environment issued a high streamflow advisory for the Whitecourt area on Sunday as rising water levels on the Athabasca and McLeod Rivers, saying they could lead to “dangerous situations or lead to flooding.”