It may be the best luck or the worst, but Lake Country resident Malcolm Hett has it.

Hett stopped on his way home from Vernon to clear some rocks off Pelmewash Parkway that had fallen from the rock face along the old highway Wednesday, Feb. 3. But right before the job was done, a second slide happened, blasting his van with 鈥渂aseball-sized rocks鈥� and spooking his Aussie Shepherd, Ghoulie.

鈥淚 came across a pile of rocks, about 10 wheelbarrow loads,鈥� he said, noting it鈥檚 not uncommon for two to three rocks to pepper the parkway.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to be the one not paying attention and accidentally drive into that,鈥� he said, adding it鈥檚 not the first time he鈥檚 stopped to clear the roadway of debris.

Hett was quickly joined by a keen helper, Oyama Coun. Todd McKenzie, who quickly suggested Hett move his van after a sizable rock let loose from above.

鈥淎 pretty big rock, about 30-feet behind me, above my van, landed beside it and shattered, spraying up the side of it,鈥� Hett said. 鈥淢y dog was in the van, shaken up from the impact.鈥�

Hett moved the vehicle to the other side of the street and let Ghoulie out while he and McKenzie continued to clear debris.

But ultimately, it was all for naught.

鈥淲e were a few minutes away from calling it good and that鈥檚 when we heard the big crack,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he whole side started sliding towards us.

鈥淲e had to act on instinct,鈥� he said. 鈥淟uckily, we both had an instinct to run.鈥�

Hett said he has never seen anything like this before.

鈥淓specially not on a well-travelled road,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 expect this sort of thing to maybe happen on a forest service road, but not two minutes from where I live.鈥�

Rocks dumped onto the roadway, denting and dinging his van. Luckily, Hett was able to drive away from the scene an hour or so later, after the District of Lake Country crews cleared some of the debris.

Now, Hett finds himself questioning what work the district had done to assess and mitigate the risk of a rockfall like this when it took over the .

The stability of the rock wall, however, has been a point of conversation for residents for some time, he said.

鈥淚t was just a matter of time,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 relative, a 鈥榤atter of time鈥� could mean today.鈥�

Hett said he hopes this instance is the only one that needs to occur before more work is done to stabilize the hillside.

鈥淕od forbid if someone is walking along the road, or some small car is driving along,鈥� he said.

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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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