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Police are investigating a fatal boating incident in the Squamish Valley on Thursday.
RCMP Insp. Robert Dykstra said the incident involved “several individuals,” but did not say how many.
“Tragically, there have been fatalities,” said Dykstra. “Given that an investigation is ongoing, we are not releasing any further details at this time.”
Dykstra said some people did make it to safety.
Squamish Search and Rescue flew into the Squamish River area on Thursday afternoon. North Shore Rescue members could be seen leaving from the search-and-rescue base on Thursday night, as well.
A helicopter and search-and-rescue volunteers head out for a search in the Squamish Valley on Nov. 12, 2026. (Tom Coule/CBC)
Raging rivers
The incident comes after several days of heavy rain that pummelled the Sea-to-Sky region, swelling rivers and flooding roads.
Environment and Climate Change Canada recorded 135 millimetres of rain at the Squamish Airport between Tuesday morning and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. PCT.
The Squamish River seen on Nov. 12, 2026. (CBC)
The region remains under a flood warning from the B.C. River Forecast Centre, and the entire village of Pemberton and the Paradise Valley community, north of Squamish, are under shelter-in-place orders.
More than 50 properties in Líl̓wat Nation, along with a handful of properties on Airport Road in Pemberton, have also been ordered to evacuate. Highway 99 remains closed east of Pemberton due to flooding.
The River Forecast Centre projected water levels would peak by Thursday afternoon, but said another storm system could bring more challenges this weekend.
Woman rescued
Early in the morning on Thursday, a woman was rescued by a stranger after her vehicle got stuck in floodwater on Squamish Valley Road.
Squamish Search and Rescue was responding to the area, but someone nearby heard her yelling and came to rescue her.
“She’s very lucky, which is a great community effort,” said Squamish Search and Rescue manager Mike Teske, adding the woman was stuck in her vehicle with waist-height water for more than an hour.
Police at the scene of a rescue near Squamish early in the morning on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (Submitted)
“She had cell service. If she had gone a little further up, the cell service drops off,” he said.
If you get stuck in floodwater, the safest place to be is on the roof of the vehicle, Teske said, advising people to try to stay with their car.
