A woman who was rescued from Stotan Falls on Aug. 5 is calling for increased safety measures at the falls.
In a Facebook post, Leanne Steel detailed how the accident happened, saying that it was not due to being careless or irresponsible, and it could happen to anyone.
WATCH: VIDEO: Woman rescued from Stotan Falls
“My foot slipped on the algae on a big boulder as I was making my way to a side ledge to lean against (exactly like two other people were doing opposite me) and my leg got pulled into the current, which pulled my body,” she wrote. “I tried to stop myself, but could not get a hand or foothold (even in my very grippy shoes) and soon found myself over the rapids of a salmon ladder.”
Unable to swim to shore due to a minor injury, Steel took refuge on a rock below the falls while Search and Rescue crews came to her aid.
She said there needs to be some sort of safety barrier in the water or sign near the fast moving current to warn others that it is unsafe.
“This spot needs something to act as a no-pass zone. Even a simple chest level bar with a small sign,” she wrote, adding that the fish ladder at the falls is man-made and therefore she doesn’t believe adding these safety measures would “destroy natural beauty.”
Steel isn’t the only one who has recently been rescued from the falls either. On July 11, a man was rescued from the river after being swept downstream due to the current.
RELATED: WITH VIDEO: Nanaimo man rescued from Valley’s Stotan Falls
3L Developments owns the land that Stotan Falls sits on and has been in negotiations with the Comox Valley Regional District for 11 years to create a 260-acre park. The company also wants to develop a subdivision in the area, a process which involves gaining the support of the regional district committee to amend the Regional Growth Strategy.
READ MORE: Riverfront proposal in Comox Valley remains on hold
“It is private property, swimmers are trespassing and swimming at their own risk [sic],” wrote Pamela Groberman, public relations representative for 3L Developments, in an email. “Comox Valley Ground Rescue, Comox Valley RCMP and the Courtenay Fire Department have been called in for two emergency rescues over the past month, this is serious [sic].”
Groberman added that as part of the park 3L Developments hopes to build, the company would add safety precautions to Stotan Falls, along with washrooms, changing rooms, parking and bike paths. Groberman did not comment on whether there are more immediate plans to add safety precautions but questioned whether the falls should remain open to the public.
“The question now, should the area be closed for the safety of all?” she wrote.
Groberman did not reply to requests for further information.
jolene.rudisuela@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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