Elderly man found dead near Port Alberni in Sproat Lake: IIO
Posted December 20, 2023 5:19 pm.
B.C.’s police watchdog is looking for witnesses after an elderly man was found dead near Port Alberni in Sproat Lake last week.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says local RCMP responded to a call at around 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 13, about the well-being of the man driving a green Pontiac Sunfire.
A police officer found the man and spoke to him at 8:40 p.m., but the IIO said another call to the RCMP at 10:25 p.m. said the man hadn’t made it home.
Two days later on Dec. 15, the man was found dead in his vehicle submerged in the waters of Sproat Lake off of Lakeshore Road.
The IIO says it was notified about the incident and is investigating the interaction between the man and the officer he spoke to, as well as where he went after speaking with the officer.
Investigators ask anyone who saw the green Pontiac Sunfire driving at any point between 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 13 and noon on Dec. 15 to contact the IIO Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or using the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
