A lighthouse keeper made a gruesome discovery last weekend on Merry Island.
On Saturday, Dec. 30, Sunshine Coast RCMP were contacted by the lighthouse keeper after he found what appeared to be human remains in a small cove on the island.
Mounties made their way to the scene to begin their investigation. Merry Island is a small island located southeast of Thormanby Island in the Strait of Georgia.
According to Sgt. Gerry Webb, the lighthouse keeper was out for a walk and came across the remains in the cove.Webb said the lighthouse keeper contacted RCMP immediately after making the discovery. The cove is on the north side of the island and is approximately 50 metres across and about 75 metres deep. The cove is completely saturated with dead logs and wood debris, according to Webb. He said the remains most likely were washed ashore due to the recent heavy storms in the area.
"The remains were located at the base of a large root stump between other logs," Webb said. "They [the remains] were resting on smaller pieces of wood, bark and debris."
Webb said the remains consisted of a partial spine, pelvis, leg bones and some attached skin and flesh. In addition to the remains, clothing items were located including long pants, a sock and tattered cloth that may be a T-shirt or blouse.
"There was nothing located at the scene that would give any indication as to the cause of death or that the unknown subject's death occurred at that location," said Webb. "The coroner was contacted and the remains and clothing were seized."
Webb said police will be contacting other police agencies from Washington State and the Lower Mainland to see if there are any outstanding missing persons cases which could help RCMP with their investigation. Webb said a DNA profile will be conducted by the coroner sometime in the next few days and will hopefully provide police with a profile within the next two weeks.
