Foul play ruled out for Vernon man recovering from head injury, witnesses still sought

Darrell Moulsdale, the Vernon man recovering from a mysterious head injury, finally has some answers.

Around 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Darrell Moulsdale was walking home with groceries when something happened to him that resulted in a smashed skull, seizures, bleeding and a major brain injury. Due to the fact that Moulsdale had no recollection of the event, a friend of his, Pam Fraser Grimm, reached out on social media and to local news organizations in the hope of finding witnesses and to find out more about the circumstances surrounding Moulsdale’s injuries. As of Thursday, May 9, foul play was ruled out by medical professionals.

“The police became more actively involved because of our social media stories, asking for witnesses to seeing Darrell prior to and/or during his fall,” said Grimm. “With their involvement, the doctors had to assess his injury to determine what could have caused it. They have ruled out that it was caused by something hitting him in the head, therefore they have ruled out foul play from that.”

Original Story: Vernon man recovering from mysterious head injury hoping to find out what happened

However, the wake of this news did not halt the search for witnesses.

“We still have not found a witness to seeing him fall down,” she said. “It would seem that it wasn’t from a random fall but from something medical, making our finding someone who saw him is even more vital.”

The incident took place in the 2500-block of 32nd Ave. Anyone with information is asked to email tntfraser@gmail.com.

A Go Fund Me page was set up in his name to help cover costs associated with the incident, including his hospital stay and flying family from Ontario. Though he moved to Vernon from Kelowna about six months ago to work as a welder, he remains in the care of medical professionals at the Kelowna General Hospital. Friends said he won’t be able to consider returning to work until his head and injuries are healed and he hopes his memory and abilities return.

“He has a fantastic team at KGH who are working with him and they are confident he will get back on his feet, but his life has been altered. It is still too early to determine when, if at all, he will be able to return to work as a welder,” said Grimm.

“Adding to his injury, Darrell is suffering from boredom that only a hospital can provide, but he is in good spirits,” she said. “His 50 head staples are being removed and he is starting to try and walk on his own but has a ways to go on that.”

She also noted that his speech and memory are still challenging for him as his words get mixed up.

The positive, she said, is the support the community has given. The Go Fund Me has raised more than $2,600 of their $6,000 goal. Grimm said that when Moulsdale is done his rehab in hospital, he will return to Ontario for his in-home recovery and rehab as his family support system is there. She said most of the funds raised will go towards transporting Moulsdale back home.

“We are ever so grateful for those who have supported Darrell through encouragement, visits and financially,” she said. “Every little bit goes a long way. We have an amazing community.”

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