Kings District RCMP members responded to a call in the early morning hours of May 5, and their efforts to find the driver of the abandoned car they found likely saved the driver’s life.

RCMP was dispatched to the call at 6:09 am on May 5. The caller told police there was a vehicle in the ditch off North River Rd. near McGee Lake. Police attended the area, and found the vehicle on its side in the ditch on its passenger side, in knee-deep water. There was no one inside except for a small dog. There was some blood inside the vehicle but after a short search of the immediate area, no one was found.

The owner of the vehicle was contacted and advised that a family member had been driving the vehicle, with the dog, and they were headed to a cottage near the collision scene. The driver’s whereabouts were not known. The cottage was checked and there was no one there. Once police had exhausted all possible leads of people who may be able to help locate the driver, including family, friends, and the local hospital, they called an RCMP Police Dog and Handler to the area. They continued searching the area throughout the afternoon when the RCMP members spotted something white in the tree line, checked it out, and found the driver, at 2 p.m. He was in medical distress, and was approximately one kilometre from the collision site. He was suffering from effects of exposure to cold. RCMP officers provided first aid, and called paramedics to the scene. The driver was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries.

The driver’s family was updated, and they, in turn updated police that the driver’s condition was very serious, however he is expected to be released from hospital soon. The driver told police he lost control of the vehicle on a corner when he was to the cottage. The dog was returned, safe and sound, to its owner. No charges will be laid.

Source: Release