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Family of downed boom-boat driver want answers to lingering questions

Itѻýs been nearly a month since Ivor Lundin died while captaining Tolkoѻýs boom-boat ѻý
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Tolko (File Photo)

Itѻýs been nearly a month since Ivor Lundin died while captaining Tolkoѻýs boom-boat and his friends and family are still struggling to make sense of their loss.

ѻýOf course we still donѻýt have a lot of answers about what happened, but as far as the recovery went, they just didnѻýt do enough,ѻý said Lundinѻýs partner, Brenda.

When Ivorѻýs boat went down late Jan. 30, Brenda said sheѻýs been told nobody went into the water to save him. Those who were at the scene waited until emergency crews showed up.

Then they just lowered a camera into the boat to confirm he was there.

ѻýIvorѻýs body was left in the water until noon the next day and thatѻýs so unbelievable,ѻý she said.

ѻýHe was close to shore, you could see the roof and lights from there. Iѻýve seen people put in more effort to save dogs from water.ѻý

Although she admits sheѻýs grief stricken, Brenda said she is raising the issue because Ivor deserved better.

ѻýThe whole thing is wrong, Iѻýve never seen anything like this in my life,ѻý she said. ѻýI know it will never bring him back, but they never made enough effort.ѻý

Ivor, she said, was an amazing guy who was always willing to lend a hand to anybody who needed it.

ѻýHe was a humble, strong person,ѻý she said. ѻýHe knew every aspect of the mill and all the boats and loved his work on the water.ѻý

She said the 57-year-old volunteered for the city every year during the fireworks to take the barges out and he was very experienced on the water.

The last person Ivor spoke with was her son.

ѻýHe forgot his lunch and said the old boat had taken on some water, so he was going to bail it out,ѻý she said. ѻýHe said that was normal. It was always treading water.ѻý

There are multiple investigations into the sinking.

The Transportation Safety Board and WorkSafe BC are both looking into it.

The TSB said they will have more information in the next week, and are still in the process of assessing the evidence.

WorkSafe BC said they havenѻýt had a complaint about the Tolko boat in recent years.

In the days after the incident Don Hanson, communications manager at Tolko Industries, said that the millѻýs focus is on Lundinѻýs family and the employees who were suffering from his loss.

ѻýItѻýs devastating news for Tolko. We take safety very seriously. We are going to work closely with the authorities on the investigation and find out what happened.ѻý





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