Victoria police dig out trapped senior after tent collapses under snow

The winter weather made for a busy weekend at the Victoria Police Department with officers responding to collisions, helping stuck vehicles and even digging out a trapped senior after his tent collapsed under heavy snow.

VicPD said that on Feb. 14, amid the first major snowfall on Vancouver Island this winter, patrol officers received a report about a man who had been possibly trapped in a tent as a result of the weather.

Police say they were called to the yard of a residence in the Fernwood neighbourhood just after 10 a.m.

The resident of the property had called police about an elderly man living in a tent in their yard for the past year – part of an arrangement with the homeowner.

The property owner saw that heavy snow from the storm had collapsed the tent leading them to call 911.

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In a report issued on Wednesday, officers noted that when they arrived, they discovered the 80-year-old was inside the tent unharmed.

He was, however, trapped.

Officers spent time digging out the trapped senior and confirmed that the man had not been hurt.

According to Victoria police, officers spent an extended period of time with him to ensure that he was safe and had the necessary resources for the weather.

The man also indicated that he was happy with his unorthodox living arrangement on the lawn of the Fernwood residence.

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