There has been an unexpected twist in the aftermath of a deadly landslide in Lions Bay last month: the RCMP is now investigating.
David and Barbara Enss were killed on Dec. 14, 2024, when their home was destroyed by a landslide that spilled across the Sea to Sky Highway and into Howe Sound.
The slide happened during a powerful windstorm.
As first reported by the Vancouver Sun, the RCMP has now confirmed an investigation in relation to the slide.
Mounties, however, are not releasing any details about why they are involved.
John Clague, a professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University’s Earth Sciences department and a landslide expert, said the RCMP investigation suggests the possibility of human involvement.
“This has been a puzzle to me … clearly there were fatalities, but the normal presumption is you cannot investigate Mother Nature,” he said.
“Maybe some of these roads weren’t properly constructed, they weren’t approved? I don’t know the history of development there, but that would be what I would think is behind this, because I can’t imagine another reason the RCMP would be involved.”
Clague said geotechnical experts are typically the ones tasked to investigate in the wake of a significant landslide.
He added that he is not aware of any similar case in which police launched an investigation connected to a slide.
The cause of the fatal slide remains under investigation.