Nearly eight months have passed since Richelle Dubois found her 14-year-old son Haven lying unresponsive in small creek in Regina’s east end.
A coroner's report released in December says the cause of death was drowning with drug use as a significant contributing factor. The death has been deemed accidental. Toxicology results also found tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principle psychoactive component of marijuana.
However, Dubois believes the report is incomplete and says it’s missing information.
“They talk about how he was found face-down in the water,” Dubois told CTV News. “He was not face-down; he was lying on his left side, halfway submerged.”
Chief coroner Kent Stewart said while a coroner’s report includes findings on the cause of and circumstances surrounding a death, it is not meant to provide all details of the investigation.
“From the coroner’s perspective, the use of the marijuana and the behavior that has been described in the report certainly provides some indication of what we think happened in this particular case,” Stewart said.
Still, Dubois is left wondering how her son died in three feet of water after using marijuana.
“How can we prevent this from happening again?” she asked. “How can we save another kid from having a senseless death?”
Based on a report by CTV Regina’s Cally Stephanow
