coroner
Cause of in-custody death related to alcohol withdrawal: Pathologist
PENTICTON - The cause of death of Steven J. Scott, who died in a cell at the Penticton RCMP detachment two years ago, was determined to be a breathing problem related to alcohol withdrawal. Dr. William R. Currie, a now-retired pathologist at the Penticton Regional Hospital performed the autopsy of Scott, 30, who was found...
Jury finds death accidental, makes recommendations
'STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN ALCOHOL DETOXIFICATION CENTRE IN THE SOUTH OKANAGAN' PENTICTON - The coroner’s inquest on the death of Steven J. Scott who died two years ago while in police custody has ended with recommendations from a five-person jury on how to improve conditions to avoid a similar incident in the future....
ARCHER: The importance of being a jury member
I spent three days this week at the Penticton courthouse sitting in on a coroner’s inquest for the death of a 30-year-old man, Steven Joseph Scott, who died two years ago while in police custody. I had never been to an inquest before and was happily surprised to find the five-person jury and all the...
CORONER’S INQUEST: Penticton lacking substance abuse resources and police manpower
PENTICTON - The need for more rehabilitation resources and police manpower were the running themes of this morning’s testimonies made during the coroner’s inquest on the death of Steven J. Scott who died in a cell at the Penticton RCMP detachment two years ago. Patricia Gartner, a social worker at the Penticton Regional Hospital oversaw...
Firefighters did not ‘appreciate the danger’ of shipping container that exploded, killing fireman
VERNON - A volunteer fireman was in the wrap-up stage of a fire call when a shipping container exploded a few metres away and he was struck by a large metal door flying through the air, the B.C. Coroners Service said. Daniel Joseph Botkin, 25, was killed by multiple blunt force trauma on impact, coroner...
Bastion Place dementia patient died of natural causes
SALMON ARM - A 93-year-old dementia patient who wandered into another resident’s room at a care home in Salmon Arm and died four days later passed of natural causes, according to a coroner’s report. Bastion Place staff saw John Edward Young sleeping in his bed at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 2. Half an hour later, they...
Coroner confirms identity of man found dead
KELOWNA - A man found dead in a wooded area of Kelowna Wednesday has been identified. The B.C. Coroners Service says he was Melvin Davis Maygard, 56, of West Kelowna. A passerby found Maygard on the ground Sept. 3 on the banks of Mill Creek near the intersection of Enterprise Way and Commerce Avenue. The...
Body of drowned Coldstream man found
REVELSTOKE - Searchers have found the body of a Coldstream man who went missing after jumping into Revelstoke Lake July 30. Authorities were notified at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday that the 28-year-old had jumped from the Laforme Creek bridge and never resurfaced. The Laforme Creek Bridge, 20 km north of the Revelstoke Dam on Highway 23...
Police identify longboarder killed in crash
VERNON - Police have identified the Vernon teen who died in a tragic longboarding accident Sunday night. “We have been in touch with his family,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. “It’s very devastating.” The 17-year-old, who was rushed to hospital in critical condition, had no ID on him and his family did not immediately come...
Woman who died in accident near Peachland identified
PEACHLAND - The B.C. Coroners Service has identified a woman who died in a crash near Peachland, June 26. She was Barbara Lynn Garrett, 69, of Penticton. The accident happened shortly after noon at the intersection of Highway 97 and Trepanier Bench Rd. At the time, RCMP Sgt. Wade Severson said a northbound SUV hit...
Canada Day water skiing mishap claims Coldstream woman’s life
LUMBY – A 46-year-old Coldstream woman is dead after a water skiing accident on Sugar Lake on Canada Day. Lumby RCMP say they received a report at about 6:15 p.m. on July 1 about an unconscious woman. The victim had been water skiing with her husband driving the boat and family members acting as spotters....
Man in fatal traffic accident near Vernon identified
VERNON - The B.C. Corners Service has identified the man who died in a traffic accident June 4 on Highway 97 near Vernon. He was Brian Victor Dolman, 64, of Oyama. Dolman was the driver and only person inside the Subaru SUV when he veered out of the southbound lanes near the Birnie Road turnoff...
Coroner yet to ID remains
KAMLOOPS - Skeletal remains found southeast of Kamloops this weekend will need to be identified before the RCMP can look into the discovery any further. Cpl. Cheryl Bush says an initial investigation did not turn up anything suspicious at the scene and now the Kamloops Serious Crime Unit and rural RCMP are waiting for the...
Motorcyclist killed outside of Barriere identified
KAMLOOPS - A motorcyclist who died from a head-on collison last weekend was identified by the B.C. Coroners Service. He was Kurtis James Genier, 34, of Barriere. Genier was travelling southbound on the Yellowhead Highway on May 24 when he tried to pass a tractor-trailer on the two lane highway. He hit an oncoming vehicle....
New jail cell death inquest scheduled for fall
PENTICTON - A new date is set for a coroner’s inquest of a man who died in a police holding cell nearly two years ago. Steven Joseph Scott, aged 30, died Aug. 10, 2012 while in locked-up custody at the Penticton RCMP detachment. Inquests — a public presentation of evidence related to a death —...