The B.C. government says it will start closing its gate at a Sooke, B.C., provincial park where three young men died in a crash last week.
The first parking lot gate at Sooke Potholes Provincial Park will now be closed between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and during any flooding events, according to the Ministry of Environment, which controls B.C. Parks.
The bodies of three men believed to be Cory Mills, Eric Blackmore and Anthony (AJ) Jensen were found near Sooke River Road after days of searching.
The truck the trio was last seen driving the night of Jan. 31 was found partially submerged in the Sooke River past the provincial park gate on Feb. 2.
Two of the bodies were found nearby a short time later, while the third body was found on Tuesday downstream from that site.
Officials believe the vehicle was overwhelmed by flooding caused by heavy rains that battered Vancouver Island that weekend.
The Ministry of Environment said it is working with the Capital Regional District (CRD) and the District of Sooke to address public access to the park in the wake of the deaths.
The new hours for the gate align with those for a second gate controlled by the CRD.
“The family, friends and community are grieving with a terrible loss and our thoughts go out to them,” the ministry said in an email.
RCMP and the BC Coroners Service have not officially identified the bodies found last week.