An investigation of a burnt-out cabin in a remote area of North Vancouver Island has uncovered human remains.
Port Hardy RCMP say they were notified on January 19th, 2021 about a cabin that had been burnt by a fire.
A caretaker of the cabin, located approximately 30 kilometres from Winter Harbour, told police that the cabin had been completely destroyed.
The caretaker had undertaken a search of the burnt-out and remains and uncovered what they believed was human remains.
Members of the Campbell River RCMP Forensic Identification Section attended the scene, and it was determined that the remains are human.
“Because of the remote location of this cabin, it’s believed that the owner of an SUV vehicle found parked nearby is the deceased,” said Port Hardy Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Andy Phillips.
“Preliminary findings so far have not indicated anything suspicious about this person’s death, but we will wait for an autopsy before making any final conclusions.”
The BC Coroners Service is investigating the circumstances of the unknown individual’s death.
RCMP are also asking for possible witnesses who may have been in the area of Hecht Beach between January 10th to 19th to contact police if they have any information.
Investigators are also asking that social media posts that have incorrectly identified the remains in the cabin as non-human be removed, along with posts containing photos of the cabin.
