Prince George, B.C.- The work to identify the human remains discovered in Francois Lake late last week is underway.

 

The B.C. Coroners Service is trying to gather information on persons who have gone missing in the Francois Lake area over the past several years.

 

The remains were discovered by a US firm that uses sophisticated side-scan sonar . The company had been hired by the family of Sid Neville who is thought to have drowned in Francois Lake in early June. Searches for his body have failed to find any sign of him.

 

The BC. Coroner’s service says the remains discovered have been in the lake “for much longer” than the three weeks since Sid Neville’s disappearance, and may have been in the lake “for years.”

 

The BC Coroners Service is now working with the RCMP to compare the remains with persons known to have gone missing in or near the lake in the past. A combination of circumstances, clothing, jewellery, dental work and/or DNA may be used to achieve a positive identification. There is no indication of how long it may be before that positive identification can be made.

 

Once the identity has been confirmed and next of kin have been notified, the identity will be made public.