About 8pm yesterday, June 7th, Whatcom County Fire District 8 fire and aid crews were dispatched to the land bridge connecting Lummi Peninsula with Portage Island for a water rescue. When they arrived they found a pickup truck was stuck on the land bridge about 100 yards from shore and the water level was rising as the tide came in.
Over the next hour, several citizens arrived with options for freeing the pickup truck. Fire and aid crews stood at the ready in case they were needed while civilian volunteers considered their options and decisions were made.
One bystander pointed to the crowd gathered to watch and cheer on the vehicle recovery efforts. “An hour ago, it was just 2 of us,” he said. “Now, there are like 50 people here.”
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The three occupants from the pickup truck eventually grabbed what they could and left the stranded pickup truck, wading to the peninsula shore through nearly waist-deep saltwater.
Cables and ropes were carried by hand from shore back out to the stranded vehicle by one of the occupants. Once attached to the stranded truck, multiple private vehicles took turns freeing and pulling the truck toward the shore. Each attempt brought it closer until about 9:20pm, just as the sun was setting, a final effort brought the stranded pickup truck out of the rising tide.
The crowd cheered as the pickup truck’s engine could be heard starting combined with the sound and sight of saltwater being blown through its exhaust.
The pickup truck’s occupants were contacted at the scene by Lummi Nation Police. No information was available whether any citations or charges resulted from the incident.