The death of an Enderby teenager in the Shuswap River earlier this year has officially been classified an accident.
The B.C. Coroner’s office has stated that Daniel Mathew Linz, 17, died of asphyxiation due to drowning, and listed the death as accidental.
In his one-page report, coroner Allen Hossie stated that Linz had been with friends on the banks of the Shuswap River on the night of May 28 socializing and consuming alcohol.
Witnesses stated that the people with Linz left the area at approximately 12:30 a.m., while Daniel was lying close to the river in an unconscious state. According to statements, this was not unusual for this to happen and Linz always woke up and went home. Thus, they weren’t concerned when they left without him.
When Linz didn’t show up at home the next morning, he was reported missing.
On June 11, human remains were discovered in the river nearly four kilometres from the point Linz was last seen alive. Dental records confirmed the body was that of Linz.
“It is unknown how Daniel came to be in the river,” wrote Hossie. “It was reported that he had consumed a quantity of alcohol earlier in the evening, and was left lying on the bank with the expectation that when he awoke he would make his way home or to another location.”
Hossie’s report said Linz’s level of alcohol in his blood and urine indicate that when he entered the river, any alcohol consumed had been metabolized, suggesting Linz was sober when he entered the river.
The finding also indicates that several hours had transpired between the consumption of alcohol and Linz entering the river.
It’s unclear how Linz entered the water, but there is no evidence to suggest suicide or foul play.
