UPDATE: Okanagan Falls man killed by rock slide

PENTICTON – An elderly man was killed by a rockslide near Okanagan Falls yesterday.

RCMP were called to reports of rocks blocking Green Lake Road around 9:17 a.m. Sunday, March 11, and discovered an 81-year-old man had been struck and killed by a falling boulder.

Police spokesperson Dan Moskaluk says when officers arrived the slide had just happened and there were large boulders scattered around the property.

The rockslide hit the man's house, but police believe he was outside when he was killed.

Okanagan Falls Fire Department personnel also attended the scene to assist in extricating the man.

The slide happened along a section of the west side of the road where rock falls are known to occur, approximately two kilometres south of the junction of Highway 97 and Green Lake Road.

Penticton RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Office are investigating.

The victim's identity has not been released.

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— This story was updated at 2:54 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2018 to include new information from the B.C. Coroners Service and again at 3:30 p.m. to include information from RCMP.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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