Police, coroner investigate skeletal human remains found in Victoria-area waterway

VICTORIA – Two police departments in the Victoria area and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating the discovery of skeletal human remains in a local waterway.

Victoria police say investigators were called to the Gorge Waterway after recreational divers found the partial remains of a human skull bone in early February.

Police say in a release that forensic testing by the coroners service suggests the remains are historical in nature, not ancient or archeological.

The police statement does not state the differences between those types of remains but says the Saanich Police Department dive team, Victoria Police forensic investigators and the coroners service are working jointly to identify them.

Victoria police say they were discovered in waters near the Tillicum Bridge and more information will be released when it’s available.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.