Four police officers who helped rescue several people trapped by mudslides in B.C.’s central interior in 2018 were among the dozens of law enforcement members honoured this week in Victoria.
Constables Daniel Caston, Cortney Hodges, Lee Taylor, and Nicholas Theoret received Awards of Valour at the 38th annual Police Honours Night at Government House.
The four officers saved about a dozen people, including a young child, whose vehicle was trapped by the mud along Highway 99 on Aug. 11, 2018 – a summer of particularly heavy rain in the region.
Another officer, Peter Shearer, helped respond to other calls from people trapped in their homes.
They walked four kilometres in to the site, over torrents of mud, carrying ropes and life jackets, and were able to bring everyone out safely.
At the time, Sgt. Kathleen Fitzgerald, the Ashcroft RCMP detachment commander and the one who nominated the officers, told Black Press Media the group had “performed heroically under extreme conditions.”
The Award of Valour, the province’s highest honour for a police officer, recognizes officers who’ve displayed exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect others.
READ MORE: Woman missing after car swept away by mudslide near Cache Creek (Aug. 13, 2018)
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