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SPOTLIGHT The Similkameen
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Crash claims life of young rancher Andrea DeMeer Spotlight Staff
A young man from the Tulameen area was killed last Tuesday night in a single vehicle accident on Coalmont Road, just minutes from his home. Cody Rice, 20, a ranch hand who previously attended Princeton Secondary School, is being remembered by friends and family members as someone who loved outdoors and adventure. The accident occurred around midnight on Coalmont Road just north of Otter Lake, said Barry Kennedy, RCMP sergeant. “He was heading home, coming around a corner on a narrow stretch of road and he failed to negotiate the curve and went off the road to the right and went over the embankment about 80 feet. The vehicle rolled and he
was not wearing his seat belt. He was ejected from the vehicle.” Speed and alcohol are considered to be factors in the crash, said Kennedy, adding the results of a toxicology report and vehicle mechanical inspection are still pending. The accident was not discovered until the following day when Rice failed to show up for his job at Mullins Ranch in Tulameen. Co-workers mounted a search of the area. They discovered Rice’s pick up truck around noon Wednesday and police were called. Rice’s body was discovered later in the afternoon, approximately 100 feet from the vehicle. “It seems like he was a popular guy,” said Kennedy. “It’s just such a shame.” Grief counseling was available at PSS Thursday, after word of the tragedy spread
through social media. Principal Patrick Kaiser said the mood throughout the school was somber, as many current students were friends with Rice. “Cody was always upbeat, always very polite and respectful with teachers and staff. He was just a genuine, nice young man,” Kaiser. A story about Cody’s life will be published in next week’s Spotlight. Rice is survived by his parents Albert and Loreeka Rice, two sisters Kelsey Ranger and Marlee Rice, and a large extended family. A funeral service will be held Saturday May 14, 1 p.m., at the family plot in Granite Creek cemetery. A celebration of life will follow at the Tulameen Ice Rink.
Cody Rice
Fort Mac could happen here Police search
river for truck
Spotlight Staff
For many people it was impossible to watch fire destroy large parts of Fort McMurray last week without asking the question: could it happen here? “Absolutely,” said Dale Kronebusch, RDOS emergency coordinator. “Princeton is actually very much like Fort McMurray when it comes to that.” Kronebusch is meeting with Princeton councillors and municipal staff later this week to review fire prevention strategies and evacuation policies in the wake of the Alberta disaster. “That’s the good thing that will come out of this, that we will have these discussions,” he said. According to Kronebusch, Princeton is similar to Fort McMurray in that it is closely surrounded by the same kinds of heavy timber or “fuel sources.” One notable difference is that Princeton has three evacuation points, while Fort McMurray had only two, he said. In the next few days Kronebusch
Spotlight Staff
Black Press
Princeton shares some of the unique conditions that made Fort McMurray so vulnerable to fast moving fire, according to RDOS emergency coordinator Dale Kronebusch.
will review Princeton’s boundaries, looking for the most vulnerable spots where trees might need to be thinned or laddered to reduce the risk of rapidly spreading fire. A similar exercise was carried out in Princeton several years ago, and trees were cut near the airport. “We don’t want to promote fear, but we do want to promote education,” he said. Kronebusch suggested that all residents take time to make an evacuation
Weather Watch Wednesday
High 18/Low 6
Thursday
High 18/Low 6
Friday
High 21/Low 8
Saturday
High 21/Low 8
Sunday
High 21/Low 8
checklist for their homes, identifying what they would need to pack in the event of an emergency and where those items are located. When an evacuation occurs, residents are given 20 minutes to leave their properties. “Twenty minutes isn’t a long time,” he said, recommending that important documents like birth certificates and passports be kept together in a safe place. “This is all about learning from other people’s mistakes.”
Police and rescue workers launched an exhaustive search last Tuesday night for a white pick up truck that was reported to have plunged into the Similkameen River near River Road. According to Sergeant Barry Kennedy a witness saw the truck in the water. “He saw the lights of the pick up truck, the tail lights, and the cab light was on.” The witness threw rocks at the truck and yelled to attract attention. He then went for help. “By the time he returned with police there was no sign of the truck,” said Kennedy. “We called search and rescue and they looked all night up and down the river bank and could not locate the truck or locate anybody on the river or on shore.” Wednesday police used a helicopter to search 11 kilometers of the river, but found no debris or signs of entry into the water. “We are going under the assumption that the vehicle sank where it was last seen, but we just can’t see it.” That area of the river is reported to be 80 feet deep in places, he said. The search will not be resumed until water levels drop. Kennedy said there are no local reports of missing persons or missing pick up trucks.