September 23, 2020
Standing Hearing for Inquest into Death of Kevin Anderson
A standing hearing will take place to determine who can participate in the upcoming inquest into the death of Kevin Anderson, age 38, of The Pas.
Anderson was conducting a train that derailed after going over a bridge that had washed out in a remote area of northern Manitoba. This occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2018. Anderson and a co-worker were both pinned in the wreckage, seriously injured and had no means of communicating with the outside world. At approximately 5:30 p.m., the wreckage and then injured men were discovered by a civilian helicopter that happened to be flying overhead.
RCMP arrived on scene at approximately 7 p.m. Due to concerns about leaking fuel from the wreckage, a decision was made to bar access to the site until it could be assessed by trained and equipped personnel. Emergency personnel did not arrive at the site until midnight. Anderson passed away shortly thereafter, having never received any medical attention and still pinned in the wreckage. His remains were extricated from the wreckage on Sept. 18, 2018.
Under The Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest has been called by the chief medical examiner who has directed that an inquest be held into the death of Anderson for the following reasons:
• to determine the circumstances relating to Anderson’s death;
• to review the co-ordination of a multi-agency response to a serious incident in a remote setting;
• to examine policies and protocols used by police, paramedics and other first responders regarding operation in a potentially dangerous setting; and
• to determine what, if anything, can be done to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.
Before the inquest begins, the judge will decide who can participate in the process and question witnesses. Individuals and groups may make an application to be granted standing and participate in the inquest. Those interested in applying for standing should contact Peter Edgett, inquest counsel, at 204-918-0479 or Peter.Edgett@gov.mb.ca by Dec. 1.
The standing hearing will be held on Friday, Dec. 18 at 1:30 pm, Courtroom A, The Pas Court Office at 300 – Third Street East, The Pas.
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