A weekend camping trip ended with a trip to the hospital for a Prince George couple who fell 40 feet down a cliff while looking for a spot to relieve themselves.
Michelle Periera and Brian Fox pitched a campsite on a picturesque spot known locally as Moon Rock overlooking Morris Lake, west of Harrison Hot Springs, with friends Airn Plonka and Danielle Bleaney on Saturday.
After an idyllic afternoon swim, an evening around the campfire eating smokies and s'mores, and putting their two boys, age 3 and 5, to bed, Periera and Fox went to the bushes to answer the call of nature. It was about 11:30 p.m. In the darkness, they didn't realize how close they were to the edge.
"We heard them screaming so we ran over to where we could hear them," said Plonka, who lives in Abbotsford. "I went too fast and almost fell over myself.
"In the darkness, it almost looked like a tree-line, as if you're walking into the forest."
Plonka and Bleaney grabbed a flashlight and made their way down to the base of the cliff. The pair was drifting in and out of consciousness. Fox also had a gash in his head that was bleeding.
Soon after, Plonka and Bleaney realized there was a bear in the area. Bleaney, whose dad is a logger and who spent a lot of time in the bush growing up, described the sound as "a kind of heavy breathing, like a grunting."
"We got freaked out a bit," said Plonka.
He went back to his truck, grabbed and loaded a shotgun, grabbed a first-aid kit, then went back down. He left the shotgun with Bleary while he returned to the campsite, roused the boys, and ushered them into the safety of the truck where he used his truck's in-car emergency call system to call for help.
Bleaney, who was left at the base of the cliff with the shotgun to protect their friends, said she wasn't too worried about the bear.
"I knew what to do if I ran into one," she said. "I was more concerned with the safety of Michelle and Brian."
As Plonka yelled out instructions from above, Bleaney tried to keep Fox and Periera awake, checked their pulses, and did her best to staunch the bleeding from Fox's head wound as best as she can.
Paramedics arrived about 20 minutes later, but were not equipped to treat patients with a bear prowling nearby, said Plonka. They waited for police to arrive, which took another 45 minutes.
Anita Neufeld of Kent Harrison Search and Rescue confirmed there was one bear in the area, which posed a safety concern for emergency responders.
When the call came out to Kent Harrison Search and Rescue, 11 volunteers answered the after-midnight page and rushed to help, said Neufeld.
With RCMP keeping a watchful eye out for the bear, the search and rescue members were able to access the rugged area and help paramedics transport the injured pair onto stretchers and into an ambulance.
They were taken to Chilliwack Hospital at around 2:30 a.m. then transferred to Abbotsford Hospital later that day.
Periera broke her hips, ribs, and wrist, while Fox sustained a broken pelvis, ribs, and a skull fracture. Both have broken vertebrae. Doctors told them it'll take six weeks for their injuries to heal enough before they can start physiotherapy.
Plonka and Bleaney have set up a GoFundMe page to help with Fox and Periera's expenses while they recover.
Plonka and Fox had just started a business making 44 and off-roading accessories.
"We know it's getting tight for them," said Plonka. "They have no way of paying rent, and it's not like they have insurance through their work. There's nothing in place."
The funds would go towards the couple's rent in Prince George, other bills and groceries for their kids, including four others in Prince George.
Plonka and Bleaney posted their story on the Four Wheel Drive Association of B.C. Facebook page as a precautionary tale, urging others to learn first-aid basics and how to stay safe outdoors.
Next time, they would bring a better first-aid kit and more lights, instead of just a flash light and a lantern, said Plonka.
"Be more aware of your surroundings and take preventative measures before it gets dark," he added.
"People have to prepare for scenarios they don't expect. You can be having the time of your life, and in a split-second everything could change."
