The Oliver Fire Department carried out a heart-pounding water rescue and pulled a man and his dog from a partially submerged vehicle north of Osoyoos Lake on Monday morning.
Osoyoos RCMP says a Jeep Cherokee drove off of a dike roadway into the river channel north of the lake with one man and his dog aboard.
Firefighters trained in swift water rescue responded to emergency calls just after 10:00 a.m.
“Crews followed a dirt trail along the river toward the north end of Osoyoos Lake where the river begins to enter into the lake,” fire department spokesperson Rob Graham said in an email to Global News.
“Crews found a vehicle submerged up to the middle of the door. A man and his dog were still inside the vehicle.”
Firefighters trained in swift water rescue donned their drysuits and personal flotation devices and proceeded into the chilly water.
They brought a lifejacket and tow rope to assist in helping the man and his dog back to shore.
“The man and dog were both rescued successfully and the man was transported to hospital by BCEHS and the dog was taken to the local dog shelter,” Graham said.
The man was conscious and is not believed to have suffered any serious injuries.
Graham said he could not confirm how or why the vehicle ended up in the water, referring questions to RCMP.
“Although neither the man nor his dog was injured, the man was transported to hospital for a medical assessment while his dog was secured with local animal control,” police said.