by CBC News-Windsor
(2010) Rescuers in military helicopters, snowmobiles and heavy trucks have freed the more than 200 stranded motorists who had been stuck on southwestern Ontario’s Highway 402 since a heavy snowstorm hit Monday.
Ontario Provincial Police confirmed Tuesday night that officers and Canadian Forces personnel had removed 237 people from their stranded vehicles on the highway near Sarnia. Estimates initially suggested that about 300 people were trapped along a 30-kilometre stretch between the Sarnia city limits and Kerwood Road, just outside Lambton County. But police said that figure was based on the number of vehicles abandoned. Some people escaped on their own.
The OPP said officials checked 200 tractor trailers and 124 cars that were trapped in the deep snow along the highway. So far, there have been no reports of missing people in the storm.
Motorists picked up by helicopter were airlifted to warming stations provided by police. OPP picked up people as they came across them, using a plow that towed a school bus.
A Hercules aircraft flew over the area to monitor conditions and a Canadian Forces ground battalion was on standby with heavy trucks to rescue more drivers, if the OPP requested more assistance.
Some motorists had been stuck in snowdrifts along Highway 402 since Monday afternoon. MacKay said some didn’t want to leave their cars. Police established an emergency operations centre and worked with Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) to co-ordinate provincial assistance. The military responded to a request for assistance from the OPP just before midnight Monday, after Lambton County officials declared a state of emergency.
“We’re working together to make sure this … rescue initiative is underway full-steam,” said Rektor. Rektor said emergency workers had been on the phone with some of the people who were forced to spend the night in their vehicles.
“Other than being obviously frustrated by the situation, their health is in good condition and they’re just sitting there, biding their time and waiting for rescue,” Rektor said.
The crisis workers gave the stranded travellers tips about staying warm and safe, and advised them to pool their resources while they waited for rescue crews who were struggling with extreme cold, snow and high winds. Motorists were told to make sure their car exhaust was clear of snow and that fresh air got into their vehicles for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The military recommended motorists stay in their cars and not try to attract a helicopter pilot’s attention. “They’re just going to have to ride this out until we can get there,” Rektor said earlier Tuesday.
Several emergency vehicles and snowplows were stuck on the road, Rektor said, so rescue teams were using snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles to try to reach people. He said they were limited by “zero visibility and the deep snow.”
Emergency Management Ontario issued what it called a “red alert” for the area between Sarnia and London because heavy snowfall was causing zero visibility. Police recommended people “stay off all the roads” and advised against any unnecessary travel between the two cities.