Man killed at Crofton Paper mill identified by BC Coroner
By Contributor
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died while working at a forestry operation in Crofton on (Tuesday) December 9 as Perry Vernon Thomas, aged 66, of Qualicum Beach.
Thomas was employed as a truck driver and delivered a load of chips to the Catalyst Paper mill at Crofton at about 5 p.m. When other workers could not find him about one-half hour later, they reported him missing. Emergency services were notified, and a search operation was launched.
Thomas was recovered from one of the chip silos at the mill in the early morning hours of (Thursday) December 11, but he could not be resuscitated.
The silo is linked to the area where Thomas was to dump the chips by a conveyor belt more than 300 metres long.
The BC Coroners Service, RCMP and WorkSafeBC are continuing to investigate this death.
