Cabinet minister lives 'greatest fear' being stuck in water after losing son to drowning
Memories of the worst moment of her life came back to Lisa Dempster as her vehicle stalled in the middle of a flooded road in St. John's Tuesday.
Her son, Nicholas, accidentally drowned in 1998. When asked how old he was, she replies, "Four years, two weeks and one day."
Dempster, Newfoundland and Labrador's minister of children, seniors and social development, was driving home from work on Tuesday evening as St. John's was dealing with rapid water buildup from heavy snow and a downpour of rain.
"I saw what I thought was a pool of water.… As soon as I ventured into it, I realized, this car is no match for this," she said. "I was past the point of no return, and then I basically saw the chaos that was building."
The engine hydrolocked, stopping the rental vehicle in its tracks. More vehicles suffered the same fate nearby. Trying to avoid getting stuck, bigger vehicles squeezed around her, causing waves to wash up over the hood.
It brought out a crushing anxiety. She was unable to keep her composure.
"I lost my son in a drowning accident and I've been fairly open in talking about that," she said in an interview Wednesday with The St. John's Morning Show. "So because of that, my greatest fear was realized yesterday."
Without any other options, Dempster dialed 911 and asked for help. She was patched through to the police, and was told the fire department was on the way.
Firefighters were unable to open the car door due to the high water levels, so they hatched a plan to get Dempster out through the window, onto a ladder and into their truck.
Finally safe, Dempster was able to move past the fear and feel gratitude.
"They were a credit to their profession," she said.
"I have such a new appreciation for firefighters and first responders."
Ice hampers drivers on Avalon Peninsula on Wednesday
The flooding, meanwhile, continued to cause headaches for communters into the morning, as the temperatures dropped overnight and caused sheets of ice in many areas of the Avalon Peninsula.
St. John's was hit with about 13 centimetres of snow on Tuesday morning, before the city was dumped with 34 millimetres of rain in a few short hours.
As the evening rolled around, the temperatures dipped below zero, making difficult conditions for shovelling, driving and walking.
The city's website showed at least 18 salt trucks on the road at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Three schools towards the southern area of the pensinsula reported closures of delayed openings due to the conditions.
Snow dumped on central
Towards the middle of the island, schools were closed for a different reason.
In Gander, 37 centimetres of snow fell at the airport. Heavy snow fell across the central region, resulting in delayed openings from the Bonavista Peninsula to Lewisporte.
Snowfall warnings were lifted overnight for the region, with a mix of sun and cloud forecasted for Wednesday with a chance of flurries.
The weater is expected to remain calm, leaving snow conditions status quo until Monday, when a warm spell is set to hit the island. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures reaching six degrees in St. John's and the eastern region, and four degrees in central.
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