Motorhomes swallowed by river: Baie-Saint-Paul resident describes flooding, ‘terror on people’s faces’

Calling it “quite surreal,” Everist Prokofiev says everything just escalated so quickly.

The Baie-Saint-Paul resident captured a video Monday of motorhomes being swept away by the river after heavy rainfall in the Charlevoix region.

Prokofiev took the video from the banks of the rushing, overflowing Rivière du Gouffre – in the town northwest of Quebec City where police confirmed two firefighters were swept away by the current.

READ: Quebec flooding: Two firefighters missing northeast of capital, states of emergency

“The rush of water coming down to the river and then not understanding what you’re really seeing as it gets closer,” said Prokofiev, describing Monday’s scene. “You see there’s these massive RVs bobbing up and down in the water and just coming at an incredible rate of speed.

“It switched very quickly from looking at Mother Nature and the power of water to something very tragic.”

In a 29-second video shared with CityNews, two motorhomes can be seen pushed by the water towards an overpass. The river then swallows the motorhomes, pulling them under the surface and under the overpass.

“It started out as, again, people standing on bridges, taking videos and photos,” said Prokofiev. “But as the day went on and the water started to rise, people started getting nervous. And by the end of the day, I think most people felt rather numb is the best way I can describe it.

“Very surreal scene in town with evacuations by boat of residents from their flooded homes, kind of terror on people’s faces.”

WATCH: Motorhomes swept by overflowing river in Baie-Saint-Paul

Up to 60 millimetres of rain fell within a 24-hour period in Baie-Saint-Paul, with Mayor Michael Pilote declaring a state of emergency.

“It has swelled tremendously,” Prokofiev said of the river. “The water has subsided somewhat from its height (Monday), but we are expecting more rain this afternoon. And it’s quite nerve wracking for the residents here.

“And they’ve never seen anything like this as long as they’ve lived. Some of the people lived here all their lives. Truly a 100-year storm.”

The SQ says the two firefighters were swept away while helping two residents near St-Urbain, Que. The residents were airlifted away and are now safe.

Premier François Legault says he will be in Baie-Saint-Paul Wednesday. Minister of Public Security François Bonnardel was already there Tuesday.

“I think that everybody has to be careful, water can be very powerful,” said Legault. “We saw what happened to the two people yesterday, so we have to be very careful.”

Prokofiev said Tuesday he could not access the town because all the roads and bridges were closed, and neighbourhoods were flooded.

“I can tell you from speaking on the phone with some people, they’re very nervous,” he said. “This uncertainty of what’s to happen next. I mean, roads are closed, access to grocery stores, gas stations.”

Prokofiev says he’s not sure what to expect for Baie-Saint-Paul in the coming hours and days.

“I think it’s the uncertainty of what follows and the expected rain coming. It’s been early spring here, the winter runoff. We still have snow in the forests and in the mountains. And so that that’s what started it. Early spring runoff and followed by tremendous amounts of rain that again, we know that’s never been seen here before.

“They’re not predicting the same level of rain, but the roads are not passable and they’re hoping to reopen the one bridge linking town to the east side of the river. At some time today, that’s what we’re hearing.”

—With files from Tina Tenneriello