One month later, Gordon Bay fall claims boy's life
A five-year-old Metchosin boy has died in hospital after suffering severe head injuries from falling 10 feet off a bridge at Gordon Bay Provincial Park earlier this summer.
Lake Cowichan RCMP Sgt. Dave Voller called the August incident “extremely unfortunate” and “unforeseen,” noting RCMP have ruled out foul play and handed the case over to the B.C. Coroners Service.
The boy was airlifted Aug. 17 to Vancouver hospital from the government park, near Honeymoon Bay.
Police investigation revealed the boy had been walking with his father and three-year-old sister over the bridge when he fell off of the side and struck his head.
The Vancouver Police Department’s Special Investigation Section interviewed the mother at the hospital as requested by the RCMP.
Ministry of Environment communications staffer Emily Laing said B.C. Parks staff has been working with the Coroner’s Service and has already installed additional pedestrian crossing and warning signs. It will also be adding additional guard railings on the bridge.
“It’s just really unfortunate,” Voller said. “I don’t know how long it’s been there but I do remember camping there at Gordon Bay when I was a teenager and the bridge was always there then.”
Voller couldn’t recall any other accidents or incidents at that particular crossing.
He did say conditions of the creek beneath the bridge were dry in August, with most of the waterbed’s rocks exposed.
Voller wasn’t aware of any further investigations or inquiries of the government bridge’s safety.
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