B.C. mom mourning loss of son who died on Grouse Mountain during atmospheric river storm

The BC Coroners Service is investigating the death of the young man found on Grouse Mountain after the Oct. 19 atmospheric river.

The Coroners Service confirmed that 25-year-old Tevin Rauner is the deceased.

Rauner's mother Chandra Russell said her son went out hiking on Grouse Mountain on Friday, Oct. 18, and that his body was found on Monday, Oct. 21. Russell said she believes her son wasn't prepared for the conditions and didn’t make it home.

"The storm hit, and I don't think he really anticipated how cold it was going to get," Russell said. "It's just awful."

Russell said she holds countless memories of her son on the North Shore and around the Lower Mainland. She recalls Rauner loving to spend time outdoors with his brothers, sisters and their dog in Ambleside. Other times, Rauner would take his siblings out for Slurpees and treats at the corner store. He also had a creative side as a writer and musician, taking guitar lessons at Long & McQuade on Main Street for four years, and doing many performances with École Handsworth Secondary at Centennial Theatre.

Russell said she and her family are shocked and in mourning after finding out about the sudden death.

“He was really loved, and he’ll be really missed,” Russell said. “His brothers and sisters are just devastated, as I am as well. We’re all just in shock, because it was very unexpected.”

Russell said they've been told blood work will be done to test for hypothermia, but the results won't be available for two to three months.

District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services members assisted with the recovery of Rauner's body on Oct. 21. A statement from Grouse Mountain Resort noted that the incident did not occur on resort property. In a statement, North Vancouver RCMP said the investigation falls under the Coroners Service and they were are unable to comment.

While some questions remain around the death, the grief of his loved ones is very real.

“He was just such a sweet boy. He always cared about others, loved animals and was such a good, big brother,” Russell said. “It was just a horrible accident and were all very sad.”

Russell created a GoFundMe page to raise donations for a funeral and memorial for Rauner last week. The campaign has already raised more than $10,000. Russell said she has been grateful for all the support from friends and family, with some flying in from Calgary, where she’s from, as well as co-workers and people from the local music community.

Friday, Nov. 1, would have marked Rauner’s 26th birthday. The family is still planning to do something to celebrate him.

"He won't be here to celebrate that, but ... we’re [going to] to do something nice for him,” she said.

The BC Coroners Service said it is not connecting the cause of death to the atmospheric river at this time. "Because it’s an open investigation – and quite early in the investigative process – it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause," the coroner's office said.

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.