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UPDATE: Police say no foul play in case of body recovered off Lasqueti Island

BC Coroners Service continues to investigate man’s death
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NEWS file photo

A grisly find by a sport fisherman led to the recovery of a man’s body off Lasqueti Island Tuesday evening, June 27.

Following an investigation that included the involvement of the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crimes Unit and the B.C. Coroners Service, Oceanside RCMP announced Tuesday, July 4, that no foul play is suspected and the death may have resulted from a boating or swimming accident.

Barb McClintock of the B.C. Coroners Service said the cause of the man’s death is still being investigated. While the Coroners Service has a preliminary identification of the man, it is still working to confirm that identity and was not able to release his age or hometown.

The discovery was called in at 7:30 p.m. June 27 to the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria, which dispatched a Cormorant helicopter, two lifeboats, a Coast Guard fast-response craft and a tug to the area, said Sub-Lt. Melissa Kia, JRCC spokesperson.

“A sport fisherman called in saying he had found a body wearing a life jacket off Lasqueti Island,” said Kia. “He said it was a child’s life jacket.”

Rescuers initially were unable to locate the body and returned saying they had not found anything. In the meantime, Kia said, the fisherman had collected the body, which was eventually transferred to a Coast Guard boat.

The Coast Guard transferred the body to the B.C. Coroners Service via Oceanside RCMP.

On Wednesday morning, June 28, RCMP issued a news release with a description of the victim, believed to be in his mid-20s, along with a request for the public’s assistance in identifying him. Thursday morning, June 29, police issued another release stating they had identified the man.

— NEWS Staff