The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died after a small boat capsized on Dec. 13, 2014.

The man is Keenan Nicodemus, aged 21, of Saturna Island.

Late on the evening of Dec. 12, Mr. Nicodemus and a friend set out in a three-metre rowboat to check on a sailboat that had come adrift in high winds. Some time later the rowboat capsized in the waters between Saturna and Mayne Islands. The friend was able to swim to shore, but Mr. Nicodemus did not reach the shoreline. The friend reported Mr. Nicodemus missing and a search was begun, but originally without success.

A potential location of the body was then determined using the sidescan sonar of the Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society, and an RCMP dive team was able to recover Mr. Nicodemus on Dec. 19.

The BC Coroners Service continues to investigate this death.

Media Contacts:

Matt Brown
Regional Coroner, Island Region
BC Coroners Service
250 356-9133