Learner driver, thrown from truck down embankment, rescued near Vernon, B.C.

A 16-year-old “L” driver is lucky to have escaped without major injuries after he was ejected from an unlicensed pickup truck in the North Okanagan and flung down a steep embankment.

The driver was thrown from the vehicle after he lost control on Bouleau Lake Forest Service Road in North Westside near Vernon last Thursday evening, RCMP said.

The teen, who was not wearing a seat belt, landed and got stuck about 60 feet down the slope.

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Trevor Honigman, manager with Vernon Search and Rescue, said a 12-member rope rescue team jumped into action.

“They take specialized training for high angle and technical rescues, getting a subject from a place like that back up to the point of safety,” he told Global News.

The driver, who had a Class 7 learner’s licence, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital by paramedics.

The boy was charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving contrary to restrictions, police said.