Alcohol and no life jackets factors in drowning deaths of B.C. teens

MERRITT, B.C. – The coroner says a combination of alcohol and a lack of life jackets were factors in the deaths of two teens who drowned earlier this year in Interior B.C.

The B.C. Coroners Service has released its report into the deaths of Austin Kingsborough and Brendan Wilson, who died this past April when their canoe capsized on a chilly lake near Merritt.

Coroner Adele Lambert the teens, who were from Langley, were not wearing personal flotation devices when the boat capsized.

Lambert says the teens were intoxicated, likely resulting in a diminished reaction time, reduced motor skills and altered depth perception.

She also says the fact that the boat flipped over at night likely made it especially hard for them to save themselves.

The boys’ bodies were pulled from the bottom of the lake two weeks after their boat was spotted capsized.

Lambert says people should take care to always wear safety gear before going boating.

(CHNL)