Remains of drowning victim found near Shelter Bay

The body of a drowning victim was discovered near Shelter Bay on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 6.

In an Aug. 9 statement, Revelstoke RCMP say boaters were attempting to land along the shore just north of the Shelter Bay Campground when they observed the human remains just next to shore. They called in the incident to police.

Revelstoke RCMP and the BC Coroner Service attended the scene with an RCMP boat, but encountered difficult weather and water conditions which hampered launching their boat.

Revelstoke RCMP Staff-Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky said the weather had turned severe. “We couldn’t even launch the boat. The waves were crashing over the dock.”

Early on Sunday, Aug. 7, they returned to the scene and located a human body three kilometres north of the Shelter Bay campsite. The body was located near a rocky shoreline in the area of the new Shelter real estate development.

In a statement, Revelstoke RCMP Staff-Sgt. Grabinsky said they were able to confirm it was a drowning. “After conducting a scene investigation police were able to rule out foul play and confirmed that the body had arrived there following a drowning.”

In a telephone interview, Staff-Sgt. Grabinsky referred follow up questions to the coroner, saying he couldn’t answer further questions because it was now a BC Coroners Service file.

When contacted by telephone, BC Coroners Service spokesperson Barb McLintock said the body had apparently been in the river for quite some time. She said that in cases like these, identification typically takes several weeks while investigators review DNA samples and dental records.

Audio: BC Coroners Service spokesperson Barb McLintock provides details on the recovery of human remains on Sunday near Shelter Bay.

“It appears that this body had been in the water for a period of time,” McLintock said. She added that the case of missing Revelstoke resident Les Wetselaar was known to them and “high on the list of comparisons.”

On April 20, Revelstoke resident Les Wetselaar, 69, was swept away by the Columbia River and presumed drowned after falling in at Centennial Park in Revelstoke. His remains were not located following an extensive search.

Also missing from the area is Joshua Jeffs, who fled Revelstoke RCMP into the bush in the 12 Mile area after a low-speed pursuit in December of 2013. Despite several searches, Jeffs was not located, and police believe he succumbed to the elements.

This story is being updated as new information becomes available.