'This was a bizarre incident': Man arrested after kayakers struck by log pushed off cliff near Nanaimo
Mounties say a pair of kayakers are lucky to have escaped serious injury after a man pushed a large log over a cliff and onto their boats in the waters off Nanaimo, B.C.
One man has been arrested in connection with the Aug. 6 incident near Jesse Island, at the entrance to Departure Bay.
The kayakers, a 43-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, told police they were paddling past the island around 6:45 p.m. when someone began yelling at them from the cliff above.
Police say the kayakers had a "short exchange with the individual" and continued paddling until a few minutes later when they saw the person push a large log off the cliff, striking the woman on the back and knocking her into the water.
The log also struck the man but he managed to stay in his kayak, police said Wednesday.
The man helped the woman to shore where several witnesses reported the incident to police, the RCMP said.
Mounties used a Nanaimo Port Authority vessel to attend the island, where they arrested a 37-year-old man for assault with a weapon.
The RCMP say officers measured the log at approximately 6 metres long by 20 centimetres thick. (RCMP)
The suspect was later released from custody pending an appearance in Nanaimo provincial court on Nov. 9.
"This was a bizarre incident and, given the size and weight of the log and distance it fell, the log could have caused significant injury to both persons," said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien.
Police say officers measured the log at approximately 6 metres long by 20 centimetres thick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.