Two people were stranded in a ditch suffering from serious, non-life threatening injuries following a single vehicle collision earlier this week.
On Nov. 20 a 42-year-old female driver and 41-year-old male passenger – both from Didsbury – spent the night in the ditch after the vehicle drove off the gravel road around 8 p.m. and rolled down a steep embankment off of Highway 40 near Fallen Creek South Recreation Area.
Cochrane EMS reported the vehicle landed approximately 60 metres from the road and while the two people were able to get themselves out of the vehicle, they were unable to contact emergency services until the morning.
“In the meantime, they were able to start a fire for warmth...” Stuart Brideaux, public education officer with Alberta Health Services, stated in a press release.
Cochrane RCMP also released a press release stating that “as a result of their injuries, lack of information about where they were or how far it was back to the roadway and lack of cell phone service, they decided to stay in place overnight.”
The pair were rescued the next morning with a high-angle rope rescue by the Cochrane Fire Services and Ghost River District Fire Department.
Cochrane ground EMS requested STARS to attend the scene due to the distance from the city and the length of time between the actual incident and emergency services being contacted.
“Given the dense nature of the terrain where the actual incident happened, STARS landed east of the scene on an available section of rural road,” Brideaux explained in the release.
The male passenger was transported to Foothills Medical Centre by STARS with non-life threatening back and leg injuries, while the female driver was transported to hospital in Didsbury via ground ambulance with a broken collarbone.
Both were suffering from mild exposure due to being outside all night.
The investigation is ongoing and RCMP said alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
