A mother from Chilliwack, B.C., lost her life due to a tree falling while she was at a local park with her children on Monday afternoon, according to police reports.
Authorities responded to Island 22 Regional Park, located just north of downtown Chilliwack, around 3 p.m. PT, as stated by Sgt. Alexandra Greenley from the RCMP’s Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
The 27-year-old woman was accompanied by her two young kids at the time of the incident. Two individuals nearby called 911 and tried to assist before emergency responders arrived.
Fortunately, the children were unharmed and are now with relatives, the RCMP confirmed on Monday.
Island 22 Regional Park is closed as of Tuesday, and it is uncertain when it will reopen. (Erin Collins/CBC)
Authorities indicate that there is no evidence suggesting the incident was anything other than a tragic accident that occurred during extreme and unpredictable weather conditions.
A robust weather system swept through southwestern B.C. on Monday, resulting in strong wind gusts impacting the Fraser Valley.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor, the winds were especially intense in the area that afternoon.
“A highly vigorous frontal system moved through the lower Fraser Valley,” Proctor explained.
Wind gusts in Chilliwack reached 66 km/h on Monday afternoon, which is classified as gale-force winds on the Beaufort scale.
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Proctor mentioned that the highest gust recorded reached 107 km/h in Hope.
This storm also caused power outages for thousands of residents across the region.
B.C. Hydro reported that outages peaked on Monday, affecting over 90,000 customers at one time, particularly in Squamish, Duncan, and Hope, which were severely impacted.
Proctor added that another frontal system is anticipated to move through the area later on Tuesday, with winds expected to reach between 70 to 80 km/h in certain sections of the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver.
Darren Clarke, a local resident who regularly visits Island 22 Regional Park to walk his dogs, recounted seeing police cordoning off the area that afternoon.
<p“We noticed around 12 officers present and a fallen tree, and we were instructed to leave the park,” he said.
Clarke characterized the atmosphere as somber.
“Hearing about a tragedy like this is always heartbreaking,” he reflected. “With the holiday season approaching, I truly sympathize with the family. It’s a difficult situation.”
The park remains inaccessible to the public on Tuesday.
RCMP state that severe weather is responsible for the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a falling tree limb while out with her two young children in a Chilliwack, B.C., park.