Investigations are underway looking into the death of a disabled Victoria teen sailor.
Gabriel Pollard, 16, had muscular dystrophy, a hereditary condition marked by progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles.
He was finishing up an afternoon of sailing with the Disabled Sailing Association of Victoria at Munroe Head, at a dock shared with the Canadian Forces Sailing Association on June 21 when a tragic accident took place.
Pollard was being transferred by a power lift from the Martin 16 vessel to the dock when the sling broke, dropping him to the ground and into the water.
While Pollard was retrieved from the water and taken to hospital, he died from his injuries later that day.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is collaborating with the B.C. Coroners Service in looking into the circumstances around the death. The facility itself is not, however, on DND property.
B次元官网网址淥ur thoughts are with the family and with the staff for the trauma theyB次元官网网址檝e experienced,B次元官网网址� said Doug Nutting, the Disabled Sailing AssociationB次元官网网址檚 director of operations, who was not on the scene at the time.
The program has been running since 1992 and no other injuries have ever been reported, he said.
B次元官网网址淚n the past 24 years, maybe weB次元官网网址檝e had a cut or bruise here or there, but never a concussion, never a broken bone, nothing. We have approximately 200 people in the association, and go for 500 sailings per year.B次元官网网址�
| Munroe Head (in the purple circle) is Public Services and Procurement Canada land near the Songhees Wellness Centre. It has a dock used by the Canadian Forces Sailing Association, that is also used by the Disabled Sailing Association of Victoria. File contributed |
Staff and volunteers do a visual inspection of the lift every day as part of their safety procedures, Nutting added, but he heard of no reports of problems with the equipment.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e suspended the program for now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 in full season yet, and were only offering sails three days per week to people who have sailed with us before B次元官网网址� The board has suspended the use of the lift until we know why it failed.B次元官网网址�
Pollard had been sailing for three or four years. He was one of a few of the associationB次元官网网址檚 members with a physical disability, since most have developmental issues or brain injuries.
The Coroners Service indicated Thursday that the investigation into the accident is in its preliminary stages.
nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com
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