A school bus carrying 25 kids from Berens River rolled over on Provincial Road 234 near Matheson Island on Saturday afternoon.
RCMP said one adult and one youth were transported to hospital by Life Flight International Inc. with non-life threatening injuries. Both are in stable condition according to RCMP.
Twelve patients were sent to various hospitals and health care facilities in the Interlake, while all others were taken to hospital in private vehicles, said Dr. Myron Thiessen, the Chief Medical Officer for Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority.
The students’ ages ranged between 12 to 15 years old according to RCMP. They said three adults and 25 students were on board when the bus slid off the road and rolled on its side around 1 p.m.
“All other students were transported to hospital by ground ambulance or private motor vehicles as a precautionary measure,” RCMP said in a release Saturday evening.
“An individual driving along the road came across a bus accident and drove into cell range to report it to 9-1-1,” said Thiessen.
Joanne Flett, the community administration officer of Matheson Island, said the crash site is south of Pine Dock on PR 234.
Flett said the children were at a fiddle jamboree at Wanipagow Frontier School Division.
Some kids from Matheson Island were at the jamboree but were not on the bus she said.
Flett said the kids from Berens River arrived on Wednesday and were flying back home Saturday from Lake Side Aviation.
Chief of Berens River, Hartley Everett said he was just learning about the crash. His nephew who is eight or nine was on the bus. Everett is not sure what the boy’s condition is at the moment.
"We're hoping everyone is okay," he said.
“There are some reporting significant injuries but the extent of them, we do not know,” said Thiessen, early Saturday afternoon.
Six ground units are on the way to the scene. STARS ambulance was also dispatched, but was not needed. Thiessen said there are other life flight units on standby to assist if necessary.
Patients were dispatched to hospitals and medical facilities in Gimli, Arborg, Hodgson and Selkirk.
Running for help
Denise Johannson has a cottage near the site of the crash.
She said around 1 p.m. a teenaged boy showed up at her door.
Johannson said the teen told her a school bus with students had rolled and a lot of people were injured.
She said the teen told her one of the teachers on board and a couple of kids flew out of the bus.
Her husband, along with three other drivers, went to the crash site and decided to take kids to hospitals in Arborg and Gimli.
Johannson said she talked to the students and tried to calm them down.
She described the scene as chaotic and scary.
She said she was one of several people in the area who came to the scene of the crash to help, including bringing blankets to keep students warm.
-With files from CTV Winnipeg's Beth Macdonell
