Parking spot becomes riverbed after Revelstoke Dam opens the floodgates
A visitor to Revelstoke thought he found a good place to park his pickup truck beside the Columbia River before embarking upon a hike.
But when he returned from the hike, he discovered his vehicle was partially submerged in the mighty river.
“Someone from out of province didn’t realize there was a giant dam a few kilometres upstream,” Sgt. Chris Dodds of Revelstoke RCMP said.
He said the incident was reported to the RCMP last night, May 14, around 6 p.m.
“You’re not supposed to drive down in there but people do because, basically you can drive down there when the water's low,” Dodds said. “When they open the flood gates at the (Revelstoke) Dam, the water comes up quite quickly. And that’s what happened to this poor fellow.”
The man is now working with a tow truck company to try and extract his truck.
“It happens every year unfortunately," Dodds said. “Some get out quick enough and others don’t."
Ren Bessette saw the truck – a GMC Sierra with Ontario plates – when it was in the river yesterday, and again this morning after it had been pulled out.
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