Caught on cam: Tree slams into Courtenay, B.C. bridge
A woman and her son who were watching storm debris float past their Courtenay, B.C. home caught an unusual site on video on Monday as a large tree crashed into the city’s Fifth Street Bridge.
"There was an impressive amount of water coming down the river and there were some pretty big chunks of debris coming down at, it seemed, eye-level because the water level was really high and me and my son were out appreciating it," said Ashley Elise.
Elise says she then noticed a full-sized tree coming around the bend of where the Puntledge River transitions into the Courtenay River. The tree continued into and underneath the Fifth Street Bridge.
"It was coming broadside and I thought maybe it would get stuck at the corner," she said. "But it just kept coming. There was a large volume of water to carry it."
Her cellphone video shows the tree coming into contact with scaffolding that was in place underneath the bridge, which was being used as part of the structure’s revitalization project.
Elise says there were workers on the bridge at the time of the incident, some of whom saw the tree coming towards them.
"I just kind of hoped for the safety of the people on the bridge," she said. "It looked like they had their cameras out, you could hear them in the beginning of my video like, "Woah look at that, it’s coming,'" she said.
The city says its initial inspection indicated only negligible damage was done to the scaffolding.
"Structural integrity has been subsequently confirmed by a competent and qualified scaffold tradesperson as meeting CSA Scaffold Standards for continued access," the city said in a statement.
The city says no workers were accessing the underside of the bridge at the time of the contact.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.