Extreme heat is believed to have contributed to a significant increase in deaths reported since the onset of a heat wave breaking temperature records in B.C., the province’s chief coroner said Tuesday.
At least 233 deaths were reported from Friday through to Monday at 3 p.m., about 100 more than would be expected over a four-day period, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement.
Coroners are investigating to determine the cause of death and whether excessive heat played a role.
“Environmental heat exposure can lead to severe or fatal results, particularly in older people, infants and young children and those with chronic illnesses,” said Lapointe, adding people should remember to drink plenty of water, keep cool by finding air conditioning or shade and regularly check in on loved ones and neighbours, she said.
Victoria police spokesman Cam MacIntyre said officers responded to three sudden-death calls on Monday, but they can’t say whether heat was a factor. Officers were also called to check on elderly and vulnerable people.
Saanich police spokesman Markus Anastasiades said heat is not considered a contributing factor in the five sudden deaths officers have attended since June 25.
In Burnaby, RCMP officers responded to 25 sudden-death calls in a 24-hour period since Monday. The deaths are under investigation, but police believe heat is a contributing factor in the majority.
In Vancouver, over a 24-hour period starting 8:15 a.m. Monday, police responded to 31 calls reporting an unexpected death in a home. Twenty-nine were likely heat-related. Since Friday, there have been 65 unexpected deaths in homes all over the city, most of them due to the heat.
Police received a flurry of calls Tuesday morning “as people are showing up in their parents’ house or relatives’ house and finding them deceased,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. He said police usually respond to three or four sudden deaths on a typical day.
“I’ve been a police officer for 15 years and I’ve never experienced the volume of sudden deaths that have come in in such a short period of time,” he said.
Dr. Tom Kosatsky, medical director of environmental health services with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said heat deaths typically manifest as heart failure, respiratory problems and strokes.
Under extreme heat, the body is less able to regulate temperatures to keep it within the narrow range needed to sustain life.
“If your body heats up beyond that range, your tissues and your organs start to disintegrate,” leading to heat stroke, Kosatsky said.
Much more common, however, is heat exhaustion, which can exacerbate pre-existing conditions.
“Your body just can’t cope. Your heart gives out. Your lungs give out. People get dehydrated and they get low-volume heart failure… where the heart isn’t able to pump enough blood to supply the heart and the brain,” Kosatsky said.
Some of the effects of the heat can come a few days afterward, he warned. As a result of dehydration, the blood becomes sluggish and respiratory secretions tighten, leading to strokes, heart attacks and lung problems.
Older people and children are much more vulnerable. “They much more easily tip into severe consequences,” he said.
— With Cheryl Chan, Vancouver Sun
