On Thursday, July 12th, rocks, mud and trees crashed down a mountain above the shores of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, ripping through Johnsons Landing. It was followed by another slide on Friday. At least three houses were engulfed when the wall of mud, rock and trees cascaded down the hillside.
Valentine Webber, 60; his two daughters Diana Webber, 22, and Rachel Webber, 17; and Petra Frehse, 64, have been missing since the landslide hit Thursday. Three of the victims, Valentine Webber and his two daughters, are believed to be Jewish. Frehse is a German retiree who would spend part of her year living in a home next door to the Webbers.
Rescue crews couldn’t access the area for more than 24 hours after overnight storms saturated the slide area and downed trees, blocking the only road access and leaving the area accessible only by air or water.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was in charge of the rescue operations that ended on Sunday. The RCMP attempted a difficult and grueling search and rescue operation on the slippery terrain under a relentless downpour. However, when the body of the Valentine Weber was found near the foundation of the home on Sunday, the rescue mission was officially called off and the B.C. Coroner’s Services began recovery operations.
Rabbi Shmuel Hecht, Chabad Shliach in the Okanagan, is working alongside the B.C. Coroner’s Service to ensure proper kavod hames.
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