B.C. hockey community mourns loss of couple killed when a tree fell on their home

The local hockey community is mourning the loss of a well-known couple who were killed after a tree fell on their home this weekend.

Early Sunday morning a wind storm caused a tree to come crashing down onto a home in Horseshoe Bay.

The West Vancouver Minor Hockey Association has identified the victims as former president Mike Sharp and his wife Caroline.

The organization said Sharp was a “selfless leader and a true gentleman.”

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Friend and former teammate, Patrick Hogan, said in a FB post that “Mike was the heart and soul of the dressing room, always ready with a smile and story from his and Caroline’s travels around the world.

“Thinking back now, it was always Sharpie that let us know when someone in the room was going through a tough time personally, so we could help each other out or lend an ear. They will be missed.”

West Vancouver police called it a “tragic accident.”

Neighbours were feeling too upset to speak on the record but told Global News that the couple had lived in their house for about 20 years and will be missed.

They also said the couple’s son lived with them, but he was staying at a friend’s house the night the tree came down.

West Vancouver police found downed power wires and ruptured gas lines at the residence as a result of the uprooted tree.

A tree removal service has been hired to bring in a crane to remove the giant tree.

Police said the bodies were removed from the home on Sunday evening.