Account Login/Registration

Access KelownaNow using your Facebook account, or by entering your information below.


Facebook


OR


Register

Privacy Policy

Young family experiences tragedy on the Coquihalla

The tragic reason for Monday’s Coquihalla shutdown has been revealed.

A young couple was travelling from Vernon to Vancouver, when their two week old infant son stopped breathing about 35 kilometres south of Merritt.


“Dad was sitting in the backseat with the little guy and he checked the baby because he appeared to be sleeping and he wasn’t breathing,” Sgt. Norm Flemming of the Merritt RCMP told KelownaNow. “Mom pulled the car over, they called 911, began first aid and at that point the ambulance called us to attend because they needed the highway shut for the air ambulance to come do an emergency pickup.”

The air ambulance responded quickly, but the infant was pronounced dead en route to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

“Our hearts go out to this family, it’s just unbelievably sad,” said Flemming. “The parents were exceptionally brave.”

BCAS_VAN_032612_74

The coroner’s office will be conducting an autopsy into the cause of death later this week.

Highway 5 was closed for 90 minutes on Monday night to allow for the air ambulance to make the extraction.



If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.

If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.


Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to news@kelownanow.com.




weather-icon
Thu
12℃

weather-icon
Fri
12℃

weather-icon
Sat
12℃

weather-icon
Sun
15℃

weather-icon
Mon
17℃

weather-icon
Tue
16℃

current feed webcam icon

Recent Livestream




Top Stories

Follow Us

Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Linkedin Follow us on Youtube Listen on Soundcloud Follow Our TikTok Feed Follow Our RSS Follow Our pinterest Feed
Follow Our Newsletter
Privacy Policy