Man found dead near B.C. trail after RCMP 'unable to locate anyone,' watchdog says
A cliffside is seen in the Little Mountain area near Parksville, B.C., in an undated image.
B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man's body on Vancouver Island this week – one day after RCMP officers were asked to search for him at the same location.
The Independent Investigations Office said a bystander found the man dead Monday morning near a trail south of Parksville, in the Little Mountain area.
According to the IIO, the same bystander had called the RCMP around noon on Sunday after noticing the man lying in the brush in the same spot.
RCMP officers were sent to search the area Sunday but were "unable to locate anyone," the IIO said in a news release Wednesday.
The watchdog – which has a mandate to investigate all police-related incidents that result in death or serious harm, even if there is no allegation of wrongdoing – was notified after the body was discovered on Monday, and has launched an investigation into what happened.
"Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm the details surrounding the initial police search, what caused the man’s death and whether police action or inaction were contributing factors," the IIO said in its release.
The IIO asked anyone with information relevant to this week's incident near Parksville to contact its toll-free witness line at 1-855-446-8477.
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