Battani Creek identified as the water source behind the disaster
Battani Creek has been identified as the conduit for the "debris torrent event" that thundered down the mountainside on Saturday morning.
In a statement released last night, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ross Blackwell said the creek was the water source behind the disaster that crushed the home of a long-time Lions Bay family.
One individual has been found dead while another person remains missing amidst the torrent of mud, rock, trees and other debris.
In the inset taken from Open Street Maps, below, the route of Battani Creek can be traced as it cascades down the mountainside from its source north east of Brunswick Beach, and merging with Magnesia Creek just above the highway.
Up near its source, the creek appears to flow through a body of water (unnamed on the map), located outside Village boundaries in the area known as Electoral District A, which is in the jurisdiction of Metro Vancouver.
This morning, Blackwell said that the geotechnical team have traversed the site multiple times both by helicopter and on foot from the top down. He says that no triggering event to the landslide has been pinpointed yet, and the investigation continues.
"The complicating factor is that the mud is like Jello and the team have had to wade through it," he said. "The debris slope around that area is not stable."
Blackwell says a plan is in place as soon as the site is deemed safe. "Step one is to verify the electrification of a line that is down by the wooden bridge. Step two is to have the structural engineer confirm the bridge has not been compromised and that it is capable of bearing heavy machinery. Once that happens they can begin removing some of the trees that are creating a risk of a further jam and dam."
A further update about the search operation is expected from the Lions Bay municipality later today.
The Watershed is, above all, a community news source,
and our thoughts go out to the family, friends and neighbours of the impacted residents.
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