Police report spike in sudden deaths as blistering B.C. heat wave continues
Police in Metro Vancouver say they’ve responded to more than 100 sudden deaths since an extreme heat wave took hold in the province, and the danger is expected to continue in the face of unrelenting heat still in the forecast over the next several days.
By Tuesday afternoon, Vancouver police said they had been called out to more than 65 sudden deaths since the temperature began spiking on Friday. Twenty of those deaths were reported on Tuesday before 1:45 p.m. PT — a typical day sees just three or four sudden deaths in the city.
“Vancouver has never experienced heat like this, and sadly dozens of people are dying because of it,” police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said in a news release.
“Our officers are stretched thin, but we’re still doing everything we can to keep people safe.”
‘We’ve never seen anything like it’: Vancouver police respond to dozens of heat-related deaths
#VPDLivestream Facing unprecedented casualties, VPD deploys dozens of extra t.co/QRD2xAJxh4 t.co/VrMOEwOBES
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) June 29, 2021
Sources: Someone died on driveway of a Vancouver firehall. Family drove patient to firehall, but crews were out on other calls, so chiefs worked on patient until BCAS arrived. Couldn’t be saved.
Also hearing of significant waits for coroner to attend sudden deaths.@GlobalBC pic.twitter.com/uy92qdiQ6x
— Jordan Armstrong (@jarmstrongbc) June 29, 2021
UPDATE: @BurnabyRCMP says yesterday members responded to 15 sudden death calls and so far today, they've been called to 19. Again, please check in on your loved ones, things can take a turn for the worst very quickly as the heatwave continues. t.co/k7jYh650JB
— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) June 29, 2021
h/t High _Strangeness