Family and friends are mourning the loss of 17-year-old Lian Dun "Edward" Sun, who drowned at Alice Lake last Saturday while on a school trip.
According to reports, Sun jumped off a raft near the shore around 2:30 p.m. but never resurfaced. A friend immediately realized that Sun was not behind him and shouted for help. Searchers found the boy's body below the surface of the water near the raft. They detected a pulse when they brought him to shore and soon afterwards Sun was flown by air ambulance to B.C. Children's Hospital. He died just after midnight.
His mother, a recent immigrant to Canada, was reportedly by his side when he died.
Sun was taking English as a Second Language classes at Bodwell Secondary, a boarding school that offers ESL programs. He had been enrolled with the school since January.
The school regularly makes trips to Alice Lake, according to a spokesperson for Bodwell.
Police increase search for Jodi Henrickson
The RCMP returned to Bowen Island on the weekend to continue their search for evidence connected to the disappearance of Squamish teen Jodi Henrickson. The 17-year-old was last seen around dawn on June 20, 2009 by an ex-boyfriend who was walking home with her from a party.
According to the ex-boyfriend - who had previously been subject to a restraining order - they went separate ways following an argument. The initial search lasted several weeks with no evidence or arrests. In March the RCMP released a statement that they believe Henrickson was the victim of foul play.
The RCMP said they did not have any new information to prompt their return to the area, but said they were continuing to look for evidence in the Seven Hills area in the hope they might locate some of Henrickson's person effects.
Bear keeps RCMP busy
The Whistler RCMP called in the Conservation Office on Tuesday afternoon after a variety of bear aversion tactics - including bear bangers and rubber bullets - failed to deter a young bear from entering the village and day lots.
The bear is likely of yearling age and recently weaned from its mother. It's also been tagged with a blue tag on one ear.
The same bear is believed to have kept the RCMP busy for three days. It was chased out of the village, through the Upper Village and up Blackcomb on several occasions. Each time the bear returned to feed on garbage. On Tuesday afternoon - hours after being chased off the Village Stroll - it stole a lunch out of a vehicle in the day skier lots.
"This is a bear that appears habituated to humans and finding human food sources around the area," said Sergeant Shawn LeMay of the Whistler RCMP.
The Conservation Office set up a trap in the village on Tuesday afternoon and will attempt to relocate the bear out of harm's way.
There is another bear that has been spotted in the area, and the RCMP are not sure which of the two animals tore apart a bear-proof garbage bin along the walkway between the village and Upper Village on Tuesday morning.
Motocyclist injured in impaired crash
At approximately 7:45 p.m. on July 17 the RCMP received a report of a motorcyclist that had lost control on Blueberry Drive, and flew a "significant distance" from his bike before landing facedown and unconscious.
Witnesses heard the crash and were able to respond with first aid until the ambulance arrived. The male driver, a 28 year old from Whistler, suffered a broken clavicle and severe road rash on his body.
The RCMP investigated and witnesses, including an off-duty paramedic, believe the male had been drinking prior to the crash. The driver, who was taken to the Whistler Health Care Centre for treatment, is facing charges of impaired driving and driving over 0.08 per cent blood alcohol content.
The RCMP are also investigating to see whether other charges could be laid regarding speed and dangerous operation of the vehicle.
It was only one of many impaired driving charges reported over the past week.
Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on July 16 the Whistler RCMP conducted a road safety checkstop with ICBC to launch a new communications campaign. They noticed at least two vehicles make illegal U-turns on Highway 99 at the north end of town. The first driver got away, but the RCMP caught a second driver as he headed south. The driver showed signs of having consumed alcohol and failed a roadside screening device. A 56-year-old male from Whistler is now being charged with impaired driving.
The ICBC campaign will focus on the financial cost of an impaired driving charge rather than the consequences, especially with the fines and threshold for impaired driving increasing in the fall. The message is, "You may think you are fine to drive (but) are you fine to get stopped?"
At 7:25 a.m. on July 18 the RCMP investigated another morning impaired charge after stopping a vehicle at Blackcomb Way and Lorimer. A 21-year-old male from Surrey failed a roadside screening test and then provided samples of 0.16 and 0.17, or twice the legal limit of 0.08.
At 10 p.m. that day the RCMP stopped a driver in the wrong lane on Village Gate near Northlands Boulevard. There were no accidents reported, but a 48-year-old woman from West Vancouver is facing impaired driving charges after providing two samples of 0.120.
Sea to Sky Traffic Services also intercepted a driver north of Squamish, who was travelling southbound from the Brandywine recreation area at 8:50 a.m. on Monday morning. A 54-year-old Abbotsford woman is facing charges after providing samples of 0.120 and 0.110.
The RCMP commented last week on the number of impaired drivers they are discovering in the morning, including drivers that stopped drinking in the early hours the night before and were still legally impaired in the morning. They are recommending that people may need to wait 12 hours or more to process the alcohol, depending on their level of intoxication the night before.
