Second Lakeland Mills Victim Identified
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 @ 9:34 AM
PRINCE GEORGE– The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of the second male who died following an explosion and fire at the Lakeland sawmill in Prince George.
The deceased was Glenn Francis Roche, aged 46, of Prince George.
Mr. Roche was working at the sawmill on the evening of April 23, 2012, when the mill was rocked by a large explosion and fire at about 9:38 p.m. Mr. Roche was taken to the University Hospital of Northern BC immediately after the blast, and then transferred by air ambulance to hospital in Edmonton for more specialized treatment. However, despite aggressive medical intervention, he died there in the early evening of April 24.
Mr. Roche was the second death reported following the explosion and fire. Alan Little, aged 43, died early on the morning of April 24 at University Hospital of Northern B.C.
The BC Coroners Service has begun an investigation into the deaths, which will be done in co-operation with the RCMP, the City of Prince George Fire Service and WorkSafeBC.
The BC Coroners Service extends its condolences the family, friends and colleagues of both Mr. Roche and Mr. Little, and its sympathies to the others injured in the incident.
Comments
I worked with Glen for 15 years. I can’t believe this happened in my workplace.
Glen was a fantastic person, and will be missed.
The scariest part of all this is that after babine he was terrified that this would happen again. And it did. And it killed him.
I can honestly say Glen was the type of man who would jump up and down for jusitice if he survived this and someone else died.
We should do the same for him.
RIP brother.
The time is now for all mills to do their own analysis of their own mills. The dry beetle kill wood likely causes more airborne sawdust, waiting for a spark, than it goes.
Two Sawmills and too many lives, this is a wake up call for all the mills, don’t wait for the Worksafe or a ruling, be proactive.
Get the sawdust out of there by baghouses and negative air. water spray before it gets cut, I don’t know but there has to be a solution.
mr.pg, so sorry for your loss. Please fight for the cause of this in Glen’s memory.
Real good old friend of mine. Great father too.
I celebrate your life Glen.
“Get the sawdust out of there by baghouses and negative air. water spray before it gets cut, I don’t know but there has to be a solution.”
All that costs big $$$ He spoke and water spray doesn’t work in the winter. If there was neglect on the company side I hope they pay dearly.
My husband, father in law, uncles, father, in law uncles, so many people from my family work in a sawmill in this area. This is terrifying, this needs to stop! My thoughts are with Glen’s family at this time. Come on mills, your employees are people, not expendable numbers!
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