Monday July 31, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Last updated September 4, 2023]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A child’s death in a provincial park has been reported out to media this morning by the Environment and Climate Change Strategy ministry.
The child was three years old. He was later identified as Kash Bakker on a GoFundMe page that was launched on July 31.
Kash was one of four boys in the family. Reportedly the family did a lot of camping.
Fundraising for the family:
The GoFundMe page that was launched to support the Bakkers has a fundraising goal of $75,000 and as of 3:15 pm on August 4, 2023 had so far raised $35,177 (347 donations) — that’s about 47% of the target.
The amount of pledges reached $42,369 or 56% of the target by the morning of August 5 (449 donations made).
Donations reached $54,785 (605 donations) by August 9 — still short of the target. If the target is not reached, the funds don’t get paid-out.
Nearly a month later (at September 4) there have been 638 donations totaling $59,000. The target of $75,000 has not yet been reached.
The top donation so far has been $3,000 (anonymous).
Official statements:
George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, has released the following statement regarding a child’s death in a provincial park over this past weekend in the Okanagan region, at Okanagan Lake Park near Summerland, BC:
“I am deeply saddened by a tragic incident involving a child at a BC Parks campground over the weekend,” said Heyman. “On Saturday, a child was injured by a falling tree at Okanagan Lake Park and has since succumbed to their injuries. On behalf of the ministry and all BC Parks staff, I send my deepest condolences to the child’s family and friends. Our hearts are with you at this difficult time.”
More about the child and where the family was visiting from are still to be updated.
Interior Health response:
Island Social Trends has inquired with Interior Health, and has received this response:
“Interior Health is deeply saddened by the death of the young child in Summerland over the weekend.”
BC Coroner:
“The BC Coroners Office is investigating this death,” is the brief statement that came today. As an open investigation there are no further details being issued by the BC Coroners Office at this time.
Other updates:
Island Social Trends is watching for other updates from the camp ground operators and RCMP.
Park remains open:
According to the online portal for BC provincial parks, the Okanagan Lake Park campground remains open. There do not seem to be any posted advisories related to this incident.
However (and this may not yet be related), there is an advisory from 2020 (updated March 9, 2022) worth noting — it says that “the lakeside walking trail between campgrounds is permanently closed for public safety. The upper trail connecting the north and south portions of this park remains open”. As well: “A major landslide (Dec. 30, 2020) sent mature trees and massive amounts of debris across the trail and into the lake. The silt bluffs above the trail were studied by geotechnical engineers and found to be both unstable, and unpredictable. The next landslide event could happen anytime and without warning, and may injure, bury, or kill persons travelling through the area.” (bold emphasis as shown on the camp website)
A caller to Vancouver City News says he has been going to the campground for years and claimed the park has been “declining” over the last few years, “and it’s getting worse every year.”
Other tree-falling deaths in BC:
- While on a school field trip, a 13-year-old Victoria-area boy Tai Caverhill was killed by a falling tree at Young Lake within Camp Barnard at Otter Point (near Sooke) in June 2019.
- BC Wildfire firefighter Devyn Gale was killed by a falling tree, in July 2023.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends has been covering news of the south Vancouver Island region since 2008, and more broadly across BC since 2020. News is posted at IslandSocialTrends.ca. Editor: Mary P Brooke.