Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 6, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press sunday August 6, 2006 winnipegfreepress.coma3 killer Tornado twister cuts deadly Swath cottage Dies As storm hits trailer at Gull Lake by Dan Lett and Jen Skerritt g Ull Lake ? one woman is dead dozens More Are injured and there Are fears that some boaters May be missing on Lac Dubonnet after a furious Tornado Tore through Southern Manitoba yesterday afternoon. On its Way it destroyed cottages and barns and Cut a deep Gash through the thick Bush East of Lake Winnipeg. There were reports of injuries All the Way from the Southeastern tip of Lake Winnipeg to Lac Dubonnet to Points Well upstream from Pointe Dubois on the Winnipeg River. Ramp confirmed a 64-year-old Winnipeg woman was killed and her husband seriously injured when their trailer was destroyed near Gull Lake a Placid cot Tage Community near Patricia Beach about one hour North of Winnipeg. There were numerous injuries some of them serious when the Tornado struck Kendall Island several Kilometres up the Winnipeg River from Pointe Dubois. It was reported but could not be con firmed that the Kendall Point Lodge was destroyed. The storm began East of Lake Manitoba in mid afternoon pummelling the area North of Teulon and Inwood with Hail stones As Large As Golf balls according to environment Canada which issued a severe storm warning before 4 . A funnel Cloud was reported at Peters Field at the Southwest end of Lake Winnipeg. The storm then crossed Lake Winnipeg and dropped a Tornado funnel As it reached Patricia Beach at 5 19 . Just after 5 . Yesterday cottagers surrounding Gull Lake reported heavy rain Hail and High winds. Witnesses said few thought it was anything More than a heavy thunderstorm. However Many witnesses said a perfectly formed funnel Cloud appeared on the South Shore and moved slowly but steadily across the length of the Lake. When the funnel Cloud hit the North Shore it slammed into a 26-lot trailer Campground full of Long weekend Visi tors. It sounded like a freight train was coming through when the storm hit said Greg Swartz who was visiting his trailer with wife Deneen Barisoff. The screen of our Cabana blew in. When i got up to shut it my ears popped. That show i knew it want just a thunderstorm. Without a doubt we were right in the Middle of the tiny Camp ground was it sounded ripped apart. An hour after the like a freight Tornado touched train was Down the site was a grotesque coming tangle of uproot through when de Trees trailer the storm hit debris and twisted Metal. One ? Gull Lake cottage and one cottage Greg All season Home Swartz were the Only structures that seemed to be still standing. Snowmobiles in storage for the sum Mer season were thrown More than 20 metres away from their cottages. Boat trailers Lay on end twisted like coat hang ers with their wheels dangling in the air. Ramp supported by the pm of St. Clements fire and emergency response vehicles choked the Road into Gull Lake. Three injured cottagers were taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals specific details of their conditions were not Avail Able at press time although police said the injuries were not life threatening. Ramp staff sgt. Steve Saunders said the Campground was expected to be sealed off for most of the night while police dogs combed through the wreck age to make sure no one else was trapped in the rubble. We re trying to account for every body and its a bit of a process to do that Saunders said. For the dozens of cottagers standing along the Road into Gull Lake it was a time to share stories of their ordeal and give thanks that they were spared. One cottage who asked that his name not be used said he was the first to the Aid of the husband of the woman who was killed in the storm. The Man said the husband staggered from the rubble of his trailer in Shock a huge Gash in his right leg just below the knee. The cottage said he removed his shirt to dress the wound and tried to Comfort the injured Man. He was just looking around in a Complete Daze the cottage said. His trailer was completely crushed. I Don to even think he knew what happened to his de Barisoff and his wife Rose were caring for three grandchildren i Don to even when the storm hit. As the three want to children wan think what dered along the Side of the Gull might have Lake Road happened Barisoff said he could not believe ? de Barisoff they escaped who was caring injury. For his three its a Complete grandchildren Miracle we re All when the Tornado still alive he said. Struck and us with three grandchildren. I Don to even want to think what might have Greg Zakaluk and his family had a cot Tage near the Campground which was still mostly intact although it had been moved nearly three metres from its foundation. Zakaluk said he is still stunned by the devastation to a cottage spot that he and his family have used for his whole life. Zakaluk a brother still lives in an All season Home just a few Hundred metres away. We be lived Here All our lives he said. I grew up Here. I just Don to know How we re Ever going to replace Ken Dankowski was in nearby Scanterbury when he heard about the Tornado hitting Gull Lake. He returned to find his trailer destroyed and his wife miss ing along with his dog. Dankowski said he is sure his wife was in Winnipeg Beach at the time but shudders at what would have happened if they were Home. We would have been dead there a no doubt about Manitoba Hydro said three towers were knocked Over in the Winnipeg River area on the line that carries Power from the great Falls generating station. Some customers in the broke head Beausejour and Lac Dubonnet areas had Power knocked out. . ;