On October 1, 2020, the dam’s spillway accidentally opened, causing a huge volume of water to rush into the canyon and catch people recreating in the area unawares. 1:00 Three Metro Vancouver employees fired in Cleveland Dam tragedy Three Metro Vancouver employees fired in Cleveland Dam tragedy – October 30, 2020 Read more: Metro Vancouver lays off 3 people after deadly North Vancouver dam failure read more
Metro Vancouver lays off 3 after fatal North Vancouver dam failure
Story continues below ad Officials confirmed that the disaster killed one person and another person is still missing and presumed dead. Metro Vancouver later confirmed the incident was the result of human error “related to the programming of the control system for the spillway gate” and fired three people. In a notice of civil action filed earlier this month, Chihiro Nakamura, who survived the disaster, claims the incident was the result of negligence on the part of the regional district. 1:53 Metro Vancouver says human error caused dam disaster Metro Vancouver says human error caused dam disaster – October 8, 2020 “Cleveland Dam had no or no adequate alarm or warning system to warn visitors to said park in the event of a malfunction or human error in the operation of the flow levels of water escaping the dam, despite its history of risks and hazards and damages from that source known to the defendants in relation to park visitors,” the suit alleges. Nakamura further claims she was left with physical injuries along with damaged mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia. Story continues below ad According to the suit, Nakamura and her husband Mateusz Wiacek were sitting on a rock in the canyon about a kilometer south of the dam when the spillway opened. Trending Stories
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Read more: Human error cited in Cleveland dam incident that left one dead, one missing
“Suddenly and without warning the plaintiff heard a rushing sound behind her. When her husband turned his head, he saw a wall of water rushing towards them and shouted to the plaintiff who was sitting next to him to run.” The suit alleges the couple tried to reach the river’s edge, but were separated amid rapidly rising waters. Wiacek made it to shore, but Nakamura got caught in a tree that fell into the river from shore, he claims. “He was able to climb the tree and as the rapids rose higher and higher, he was forced to climb further up the tree away from shore,” the suit states. After trying and failing to reach his wife with a piece of wood, Wiacek ran to the rim of the canyon to call 911 as the waters continued to rise, the suit alleges. 0:33 New warning system installed near Cleveland Dam New warning system installed near Cleveland Dam – May 20, 2021 “Over a period of approximately 30 minutes, while the plaintiff’s husband frantically made a series of attempts to run back and forth to get help, the plaintiff was left alone in the midst of the swirling and rising waters and thought she was going to die. “ Story continues below ad Eventually, firefighters were able to rescue Nakamura from the tree as water levels began to recede, the outfit claims. According to the lawsuit, she suffered abrasions and injuries to her knees and ankles, along with nervous shock and PTSD.
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Since the incident, he has sought counseling and avoidance therapies and suffered from insomnia and fatigue along with loss of enjoyment of life and ability to earn and earn an income, the suit alleges. Nakamura alleges Metro Vancouver was negligent in supervising and training workers, repairing and operating the dam’s gate and drum spillway, and in failing to operate an emergency warning system. He is seeking general and special damages of an unspecified amount. In a statement, Metro Vancouver CAO and Commissioner Jerry Dobrovolny said the district was first made aware of the claim on Friday and has yet to file its response. “For the past two years, we have had no direct contact with the couple other than receiving their claims last Friday, and they have made no prior effort to cooperate with us or inform us of their experience,” Dobrovolny said. Story continues below ad “Following the October 1, 2020 event, Metro Vancouver launched an urgent and comprehensive review looking at everything from programming, operations and internal protocols… Metro Vancouver has also engaged with the public and stakeholders to learn the their experiences with the river, and continues work to study the river’s hydrology and conduct field surveys to determine public use patterns that will contribute to additional long-term public safety improvements.” In 2021, Metro Vancouver installed a new warning system along the Capilano River that includes six audible and visual alarms along the waterway to be used in emergencies. None of the allegations have been proven in court. © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
