8 months after a woman drowned near Spanish Banks, Vancouver police renew plea for help identifying her

Police are trying to identify a woman who was found off the coast of Spanish Banks on Sept. 29, 2022. (Handout)

On the eight-month anniversary of a tragic discovery near a Vancouver beach, police are renewing a public appeal for help identifying a drowning victim.

Investigators have received about 30 tips from the public in the months since a tug boat crew discovered a woman’s body floating in the water at Spanish Banks, according to statement issued by the Vancouver Police Department on Monday.

Police say the tug boat crew brought the woman to shore but, despite life-saving efforts, she later died in hospital.

The VPD have re-released a sketch of the woman, as well as a video on social media summarizing what investigators have determined so far.

“She appears to be a Black woman in her 30s. She had distinctive freckles on her face and she had short black hair that was tied back in a bun,” VPD spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison says in the video.

 

 

 

 

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He goes on to explain that a blue inflatable kayak was found overturned nearby, as was an orange life vest and a vial of insulin.

Investigators believe the woman may have been a diabetic who went into medical distress before falling into the water.

They’ve checked her fingerprints and DNA on police databases, reviewed surveillance footage and are continuing to liaise with “various national consulates,” according to the VPD statement.

While the woman was found wearing a backpack, police say neither her wallet nor identification were inside.

Anyone with information about the woman is asked to call 604-717-0619 or email [e-mail].