Seventy-one year old Joanne Campbell, who was found dead on July 1 in a hot apartment, is suspected to be one of hundreds who succumbed to record breaking temperatures in B.C., her brother says.
“They’re just waiting for the final results from the coroner, but that’s what they figured it was,” said Darren Cormier, 57, of View Royal.
The heat wave is suspected to have led to 579 deaths across British Columbia, according to preliminary date from the B.C. Coroners Service. A total of 777 deaths were reported in the province from June 25 to July 1 — nearly four times the five-year average of 198.
On Vancouver Island, deaths more than doubled — 97 Island deaths were reported to the coroner between June 25 and July 1. The average for the same period over the past five years is about 42.
Darren, who is the youngest of seven siblings, said sister “Joey” turned 71 on June 19 and was in fine form.
Joanne, who lived in an apartment in Surrey, wasn’t active and didn’t drive but other than having a bad shoulder that saw her on disability insurance and being overweight, she had no serious chronic health conditions, said Cormier.
His sister Sherry called him with bad news, which he imagined would be about his 85-year-old mother or 95-year-old father.
“I was shocked by how many people passed away during the heat wave and then I got the call — ‘your sister has too’ — and I couldn’t believe it,” said Cormier. Only two weeks prior he talked to his sister by phone and she reported she was doing very well and life was good.
Cormier said he ensured his father had jugs of water — his mother is in Gorge Road Hospital — but it wouldn’t have occurred to him to check in on his sister. “She lived by herself so we really don’t know much yet,” said Cormier. “I’m pretty sure it was the heat because I’ve never heard anything about her ticker.”
B.C. Coroners Service chief medical officer Dr. Jatinder (Taj) Baidwan has written to physicians in a letter about the unprecedented heat and how to classify the deaths — namely not to issue death certificates in cases where the heat wave is considered a contributing factor.
“Where heat is considered in any way contributory to death, the death is reportable to the B.C. Coroners Service,” wrote Baidwan. “Please do not issue any medical certificates of death if you feel that heat may have played a part in the death.”
The B.C. Coroners Service will review the cases and issue the certificate of death if appropriate, he said, noting the coroners service is receiving far more referrals than usual. All sudden and unexpected deaths are regularly reported to the coroners service.
All heat-related deaths need to be classified as accidental, and death certificates for accidental deaths can only be issued by coroners, said Baidwan.
Asked whether the province was ill-prepared for the heat wave, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he’ll have more to say today about Emergency Health Services, which was reported to be overwhelmed during the heat wave by the large spike in calls for service.
“I believe that when you have what has been characterized as a once-in-a-1,000-year heat dome, you can’t prepare for that, but you certainly have to be ready for those eventualities,” said Dix. “We will be better prepared as the summer goes forward, but certainly the information that we are able to glean from the work of the coroner and Dr. [Bonnie] Henry will guide us in putting in place more procedures and protocols for the health authorities to follow.”
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