A man whose body was found in the waters off the southern end of Gabriola Island has now been identified as a resident of the Lower Mainland, but police are not releasing his name at the request of his family.
The man’s body was spotted in the water near Thrasher Rock just after 1 p.m. on June 30 by a passing boater. That person alerted the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) and staff coordinated an air and water search with the Canadian Coast Guard, RCMP and Canadian Forces.
Investigators have now determined the man boarded a BC Ferries vessel at Tsawwassen on June 29 at 8 p.m. bound for Duke Point, Nanaimo. Security footage from BC Ferries shows him boarding as a walk-on passenger but he did not disembark with the other passengers at Duke Point. It is still unknown how and why the man entered the water but police say there is no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved.
Police have now assumed an assistance role to the ongoing BC Coroners Service investigation.
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