The Editor,
Re. "Jaws of Life used to free men after tree falls on SUV in PoCo" (The Tri-City News, April 24).
On April 21, my husband, son, his fiancée and I enjoyed brunch together and left shortly after noon. As we made our way through Sunday traffic, waiting our turn nearing the stop sign on Crabbe and Kitchener in Port Coquitlam, the unthinkable happened: While we were stopped, our vehicle was struck by an enormous tree.
In those terrifying moments as it was happening, we were all trapped to varying degrees. Our screams for "Help! "and to "Call 911!" were immediately met with witnesses jumping to our assistance. There were a handful of strangers who did not hesitate to help us. These were horrifying moments as we were unsure of all of our injuries and there were many times through the course of those first precious minutes that my son's fiancée, myself and other eye witnesses believed we had lost our loved ones.
The driver who was behind us and other witnesses pulled my future daughter-in-law and me out of the vehicle from the back. There were, I believe, two men who helped me rip branches away from the vehicle to gain access to my husband, who was not only trapped but pinned and motionless.
My son, too, was pinned. A gentleman from the neighbourhood ran to get his chainsaw and immediately started to alleviate pressure on the vehicle by cutting through portions of the tree.
RCMP constables Blakeman and Gill were at our sides very quickly and stayed close to support us throughout the ordeal. The first responders, firefighters, BC Ambulance paramedics and other Mounties were quick to assess our needs and got to work extricating them both from the Jimmy.
Minutes felt like hours but there were many hands and what looked to be two teams working hard for both of our men. It was such a relief and blessing to see my husband and son not only out of the twisted metal and broken glass but conscious and conversant.
We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the individuals who helped us during some of the darkest moments of our lives.
To the witnesses who were the first to help us out of the vehicle and with the tree, to the RCMP members who were quickly on scene, to the firefighters and paramedics, to the staff of Royal Columbian Hospital and to our own family members and friends who were a constant source of comfort throughout that day and who continue to support us we are and will remain forever grateful.
The Webb Family,
Port Coquitlam
