A firefighter, helicopter pilot, died whilst battling one of the major fires in Central BC, the Kelly Creek Fire. He tried to scoop water from the Fraser River with a bucket suspended from the belly of his helicopter. Something went wrong - maybe effect of river current or a gust of wind - and the helicopter crashed. His friend, flying a helicopter next to him, lowered his bucket into the river to provide an escape route for the downed victim, who managed to crawl out of the crashed helicopter. But, the current was too swift, and the pilot was swept to death. His body remained unrecovered for several days.
However, search efforts finally resulted in finding him near the Highway 99 bridge in Lillooet.
The bridge was closed for an hour on the afternoon of the 23. August 2009, to conduct a memorial service in Robert Woodhouse's memory. I happened to be one of the cars stopped at the east side of the bridge. Knowing the history of this event, I parked the car and joined the hundreds of people gathered on the bridge to bid their last farewell and thank you to a brave man, who gave his life doing his duty.
Members of the Lillooet Fire Brigade
Representatives of the RCMP and the local Tribal Police Force
Elder of the local First Nation
Hand Drummers of the local First Nation performing a Farewell Song
Everyone, even the children brought flowers to toss into the river after the ceremony
However, search efforts finally resulted in finding him near the Highway 99 bridge in Lillooet.
The bridge was closed for an hour on the afternoon of the 23. August 2009, to conduct a memorial service in Robert Woodhouse's memory. I happened to be one of the cars stopped at the east side of the bridge. Knowing the history of this event, I parked the car and joined the hundreds of people gathered on the bridge to bid their last farewell and thank you to a brave man, who gave his life doing his duty.
Members of the Lillooet Fire Brigade
Representatives of the RCMP and the local Tribal Police Force
Elder of the local First Nation
Hand Drummers of the local First Nation performing a Farewell Song
Firefighters aiming arcs of water over the river, where the body was discovered
First Nations hand drummer
One of the fire fighting helicopters, who performed a fly-over, with a waterbucket suspended from its fuselage. This is the kind of helicopter that had crashed.
Everyone, even the children brought flowers to toss into the river after the ceremony
Fire Fighters paying tribute to one of their comrades
Roads into the firezone at Kelly Creek were open again, however extreme caution in transit was advised
Smoke hanging over the mountains surrounding Lillooet
Smoke hanging over the mountains surrounding Lillooet
