Driver OK after dump truck plunges over Vancouver Island embankment into ocean

Photo: Google Maps

A woman ran into the icy ocean to rescue the driver of a dump truck after it went out of control Wednesday on Vancouver Island.

“We had a tandem dump truck lose control or lose its brakes,” said Mill Bay Fire Chief Ron Beck. “It crossed Mill Bay Road, just missing other vehicles, then plunged off the end of Frayne Road, which is a 50-foot embankment, and landed upside down in the ocean.”

The driver was in good ­condition, believe it or not, Beck said.

When firefighters arrived, they learned that a woman who lives in the area saw the crash, saw the truck upside down in the ocean in eight feet of water, and dived in to help the driver, a woman, get to shore, he said.

“And when we got on scene, they were both sitting on the shore,” he said.

The woman who rescued the truck driver spoke to the RCMP, then went to change because she was shivering and shaking and needed dry clothes, Beck said.

He doesn’t know her name but is planning to pursue a commendation or bravery award for the dangerous rescue.

Beck said he did not know why the truck’s brakes failed, but said Frayne Road is steep and the 50-foot embankment at the end is very steep.

Large tow trucks were needed to pull the tandem dump truck back to shore.