UPDATED: Coroner releases name of man whose body was recovered from Kootenay Lake
By Nelson Daily Staff
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who was discovered deceased in Kootenay Lake near Nelson on Sept. 11.
The man was Paul Tayes, aged 56, from Surrey.
Tayes had checked into the Kokanee Creek campground on Sept. 2, for one night and was reported missing by park staff on Sept. 4, after he failed to return to his truck and equipment.
Search and Rescue workers initiated an extensive search of the area on the same day but were unable to locate him.
The body of Tayes was subsequently discovered in Kootenay Lake by a local kayaker on Sept. 11 and recovered from the lake by Search and Rescue personnel.
The BC Coroners Service and RCMP continue to investigate this death.
Previous story:
Nelson RCMP with the assistance of Nelson Search and Rescue, recovered a floating body from Kootenay Lake near Crescent Beach Thursday (September 11) morning.
RCMP received a call Thursday at approximately 8:15 a.m. from a woman who felt she saw a body floating near Crescent Beach.
The Nelson RCMP with the assistance of Nelson Search and Rescue attended the scene where they recovered the body of a male.
At this time RCMP cannot confirm this is the body of a missing 56-year-old Surrey man, Paul Tayes.
Tayes was first reported missing from Kokanee Creek Park north of Nelson on (Thursday) September 4.
Staff noticed Tayes’ vehicle and trailer were still in the same location, but couldn’t find middle-aged Lower Mainland man.
More than 100 SAR members from throughout the region were in the Kokanee Park area taking part in SAREX workshops and training exercises during the weekend and assisted in the search.
SAR teams spent two days searching around Kokanee Creek Provincial Campground Park with no success.
Sunday, SAR received a report that a body may have been floating in Kootenay Lake near Nine Mile.
Search and Rescue teams, with help from the 442 squadron Cormorant helicopter, scanned the shoreline of Kootenay Lake from Nine Mile, north of Nelson, on to the Corra Linn Dam near Bonnington Sunday with no luck locating the missing Surrey man.
The BC Coroners Service will be taking conduct of the investigation into the events surrounding and cause of the male’s death.
The family of Tayes has been notified of the recovery of the body and are awaiting a positive identification to be made.
