A coroner's inquest into the death of Merrill Dixon has been scheduled for Aug. 11 to 15 at Sechelt provincial court. Presiding coroner Tom Pawlowski and a five-person jury will publicly hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses in order to determine the facts surrounding the death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.
Dixon, 51, first cousin to former Sechelt Indian Band Chief Stan Dixon, was killed from blunt force to the head and neck, according to Sunshine Coast RCMP statements, when the boat he was travelling in crashed into rocky shores five kilometres south of Deserted Bay (near Egmont) on the evening of March 21, 2007.
Dixon and the three other men on board (Wayne Joe, his son Tyrone Joe and Danny Paul) were trying to reach camp after responding to a call by Paul, who had become stranded by severe weather conditions while trying to mark a log. The group was able to reach Paul, but he fell into the icy waters as they tried to get him on board. As the men hurried to get him back to camp, the treacherous weather conditions kept them from reaching their destination. The boat went off-course and smashed into the shore, killing Dixon instantly and seriously injuring Wayne Joe and Paul, while Tyrone Joe suffered the least of the injuries.
According to the B.C. Coroner's Service, inquests are formal court proceedings held to publicly review the circumstances of a death. An inquest is held if the coroner determines that it would be beneficial in: addressing community concern about a death, assisting in finding information about the deceased or circumstances around a death and/or drawing attention to a cause of death if such awareness can prevent future deaths.
Upon conclusion of the inquest, a written report on the verdict at inquest will be prepared. It will include the classification of death and, whenever possible, recommendations of the jury on how to prevent a similar death. The report will be made available to the public.
