Tuesday April 2, 2013 (Vol. 38 No. 27)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
S U R R E Y
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All a-board: A slice of railway history is coming to life, as the replica Cloverdale Station – based on original plans and featuring craftsmanship reminiscent of the first – nears completion. › see page 11
Two girls describe young attackers to police
Four arrested after alleged sex assault Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Police have arrested four Surrey teenagers in relation to an alleged sex assault of two girls in a Newton park early Thursday morning. According to Surrey RCMP, two 16-year-old girls were confronted
by four young men at a park at 135 Street and 62A Avenue, near Northridge Elementary, at about 1 a.m. The girls reported that their alleged attackers took their cellphones and assaulted them sexually. Police arrived and obtained
descriptions of the group and their car. Moments later, officers spotted a vehicle and occupants matching the descriptions. All of the occupants are known to police. Four young males – including two under age 18 – were taken into
custody. Police did not disclose the exact ages of the accused. As of Peace Arch News’ press deadline Monday, police had not announced charges. Investigation is ongoing. With warmer weather on the way, police are urging caution to people
who frequent parks later in the day. “With summer approaching and the evenings getting warmer, we’ll see more people outside hanging out in parks,” said Cpl. Bert Paquet. “Be aware of where you’re at, your surroundings and use smart and common sense.”
Boaz Joseph photo
A wing failure is believed to have caused the crash of this ultralight trike in a South Surrey blueberry field Monday. Below, pilot Mikhail Gavrikov (left) with business partner Victor Okunev.
White Rock man suffers broken leg in ‘soft crash’
Ultralight pilot parachutes 300 feet to safety Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
Optional safety equipment installed on an ultralight trike is being credited with saving the life of a veteran pilot who crashed into a South Surrey blueberry field Monday. “You invest in them and you hope you never use them,” Victor Okunev, co-owner of Open Skies Aviation, said of the ballistic parachute he believes saved his partner, Mikhail Gavrikov. “In case something goes wrong with the
aircraft and it becomes non-flyable, you can deploy that parachute and basically it takes the whole setup… down. “The pilot had deployed it and it worked, it saved his life, so everything kind of went according to the safety procedures.” Okunev said the White Rock man was doing a test flight for a friend when the crash occurred. Police were called to the scene – near King George Boulevard and Colebrook Road – around 8:15 a.m., and Gavrikov was taken to
hospital with a leg injury. The pilot’s femur was broken in the crash, said Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Warren Tyson, noting initial investigation indicates a mechanical failure occurred during the flight. According to the police report, witnesses reported hearing a sound come from the opencockpit craft just prior to the crash. “It looks like a cable broke on one of the wings,” Tyson said. › see page 4
Contributed photo
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