Two Good Samaritans are credited with helping to save three people at Foley Lake in Chilliwack Sunday afternoon.

While RCMP confirm two children, aged nine and 10, died in a tragic off-road vehicle accident, two adults and a third child survived, thanks in part to the quick thinking and calm actions of Joy Pringle and her friend Hannah Reinholt.

The women live in Squamish and came to Foley Lake to unwind, reconnect with nature and remember JoyB次元官网网址檚 sister Bekah, who died in a car accident in December of 2018 and whose birthday is this week.

Joy and Hannah had finished camping and were packing up to leave when a kid on a dirt bike rode up asking for help.

B次元官网网址淗e said there was an accident with a side-by-side (SxS ATV-style vehicle) that was in the water,B次元官网网址� Joy said. B次元官网网址淲ith limited information we ran 10 minutes up a hill, and as we arrived we saw that the side-by-side fell down a 100 foot embankment into the lake.B次元官网网址�

Joy said she scrambled down the embankment and realized two kids were strapped in the submerged vehicle by seat belts.

B次元官网网址淚 grabbed a nearby belly boat, jumped on and swam to where I could see bubbles coming out,B次元官网网址� she recalled. B次元官网网址淚 dove down and tried my best to find them. I had no light and it was dark and cold and all I could feel was the tires. It was too deep and really cold, and I realized I couldnB次元官网网址檛 rescue them.

B次元官网网址淚 realized I would be putting my life at further risk, and IB次元官网网址檇 be unable to hold my breath long enough to pull them out even if I did find them.B次元官网网址�

An RCMP news release Sunday said the vehicle was 15 feet deep. Joy said the frigid water took her breath away, and her lungs were burning as she finally came up for air.

Three other people who were in the side-by-side were sitting on the embankment and they were in bad shape. Joy described them as B次元官网网址減retty pale/bluishB次元官网网址� and she administered first aid. They huddled together, trying to stay warm, and as they did that Hannah scrambled up and down the steep embankment several times bringing towels, blankets, dry clothes and hand warmers.

B次元官网网址淪he was an angel,B次元官网网址� Joy said. B次元官网网址淪he literally ran over giving the clothes off her back.B次元官网网址�

The two women sent for help immediately, but it takes at least an hour to get back into an area where there is cellular phone service, and Joy said it was a three or four hour wait until emergency crews responded. When police, fire and search and rescue arrived, Joy helped set up tarps and stayed with the two adults, who were injured and needed to be taken by boat to a waiting helicopter.

B次元官网网址漈here were two fisherman that arrived first and were quick thinking as well,B次元官网网址� Joy added. B次元官网网址淭hey gave me jackets too, when I was shivering. We all worked together. Everyone took care of each other.B次元官网网址�

The third child was able to make it up the embankment with help from Joy and one of the fishermen, and Hannah placed him in a Jeep that was running with the heat on. The childB次元官网网址檚 uncle and cousins were there to comfort him, and Hannah kept checking in on him while Joy went back down the embankment to comfort the parents.

B次元官网网址淭he mom didnB次元官网网址檛 want to leave her kids alone in the water and I promised her that I would stay with her two children until they were recovered by the police dive team/SAR,B次元官网网址� Joy said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 proud that I could give the family peace of mind that the kids were never alone.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 sad that I couldnB次元官网网址檛 do more, but we did everything that we could.B次元官网网址�

JoysB次元官网网址� efforts were noticed. An emergency responder who wished to remain anonymous had this to say.

B次元官网网址淲hen we arrived we found the parents beside the lake being attended to by a lady from Squamish who had already begun preliminary first aid for them. She got them as warm and comfortable as possible under the circumstances and she attempted to try to reach the submerged children.

B次元官网网址淭his young lady did a tremendous job yesterday and she deserves some acknowledgement for her cool headedness and assistance in a very difficult situation.B次元官网网址�

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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