Save Old Growth protester hospitalized after falling from ladder on Vancouver Island
Posted June 13, 2022 4:25 pm.
Last Updated June 13, 2022 7:05 pm.
Editor’s note: This article contains a video posted to Twitter showing a man falling from a tall ladder onto the ground. It may be disturbing to some viewers.
One person was taken to the hospital Monday morning after he fell from a 15-foot ladder during a protest staged by Save Old Growth on Vancouver Island. The man has serious injuries, according to the group.
The demonstrators blocked northbound traffic on the Patricia Bay Highway in North Saanich.
Save Old Growth claims an “enraged man” destroyed a support, causing the ladder to collapse.
The group alleges that person was repeatedly warned about his actions and responded with “I don’t care.”
The RCMP confirms the fall but categorized the protestor’s injuries as non-life threatening.
“One protestor fell down on the pavement after the ladder collapsed and had to be transported to hospital as a result,” reads a statement from Sidney North Saanich RCMP.
Mounties say a separate investigation is underway to determine “what caused the ladder to collapse and whether or not there was any criminality involved.”
Some footage of the incident was posted to social media. Although the video CityNews has viewed shows the ladder falling, it does not show anyone tampering with it or any supports.
Dramatic Video Posted To @instagram of this morning’s @saveoldgrowth blockade as a ladder erected on the highway falls over with somebody perched on top of it.
Credit: @roninswanson #yyj #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/av9yrHqCot
— Adam Stirling (@Adam_Stirling) June 13, 2022
After the ladder collapses, some people in the video are seen running to attend to the person who fell as several vehicles honked their horns and some drivers who had gotten out of their vehicles are heard cheering in the background.
“While we understand the commuters frustration, the RCMP does not condone illegal actions taken to bypass blockades,” RCMP Cpl. Alex Bérubé said.
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Save Old Growth has warned it will be ramping up disruptions in its continued protest of old growth logging in B.C.
Nine people were arrested in Metro Vancouver after two other demonstrations brought traffic to a standstill.
Traffic was snarled on Highway 99 near the Massey Tunnel and on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge during the morning commute.
Richmond RCMP arrested four people, while Vancouver police made five arrests. Criminal charges are being pursued.
Previously, the group has targeted routes like the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, the Lions Gate Bridge, and Highway 1, among others sites on the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province.
There have been confrontations in some of those demonstrations, with protesters dragged off the road before police arrived.
CityNews has reached out to RCMP about Monday’s incident on Vancouver Island.
