The BC Coroners Service is working to confirm the identity of a body that was recovered from Francois Lake on June 30, 2013.

The body has now been confirmed as NOT that of Sid Neville, age 35, a boater who went missing following a mishap on the lake on June 7.

When the official search for Mr. Neville proved unsuccessful, a US firm which uses sophisticated side-scan sonar was hired by Mr. Neville's family to try to locate him. On the afternoon of June 28, a body was located on the bottom of the lake at a depth of about 175 metres.

When recovery was undertaken on June 30, however, it provided not to be that of Mr. Neville, but rather of someone who had been in the lake for much longer, probably for years.

The BC Coroners Service is now working with the RCMP to compare the body with persons known to have gone missing in or near the lake in the past. A combination of circumstances, clothing, jewelry, dental work and/or DNA may be used to provide a positive identification.

The BC Coroners Service will make public the identity of this person once identification is confirmed and all next of kin have been notified.

For further information, please contact:

Barb McLintock
Coroner, Strategic Programs
BC Coroners Service
250 356-9253