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Coroner says drugs contributed to DJ's death

The BC Coroner's Service released its report on the death of Whistler's Mike Grefner on Nov. 21, concluding that the 34-year-old DJ "ingested a toxic level of cocaine and went outside on one of the coldest nights of the year.
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The BC Coroner's Service released its report on the death of Whistler's Mike Grefner on Nov. 21, concluding that the 34-year-old DJ "ingested a toxic level of cocaine and went outside on one of the coldest nights of the year."

Grefner was first reported missing after failing to show up for a shift at a local nightclub. The last time he was seen was at his home in the early morning hours of Jan. 17 and his absence was noted on Jan. 19.

Friends and family searched for almost two months, and sightings of Grefner came in from Alberta and further abroad. However, Grefner's remains were found on Mar. 10 near Whistler Secondary School.

According to the coroner's report, Grefner's behavior on the night he went missing was consistent with intoxication and some witnesses say he was more intoxicated than they had ever seen him before. He was also not dressed for the weather, which dipped below -20 degrees. He was found wearing shoes, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.

The exact cause of death is unknown or how much the cold weather contributed, but coroner Isis van Loon wrote that "Toxicology testing showed significant concentrations of cocaine and its byproducts at a high enough level to cause death." As well, low concentrations of alcohol were identified, but it's possible that alcohol played a greater role and the lower concentrations were the result of postmortem changes.

As for the cold, the coroner wrote that "extreme cold was a contributory factor."

The coroner's report comes six weeks after another report on the death of Irish national Dave Christian was released to the public. That report determined that Christian, who went missing after drinking at a bar with friends on St. Patrick's Day, Mar. 17, died as a result of hypothermia, with acute alcohol intoxication "considered a contributing factor in his death."

Both deaths are classified as accidental.