Inquest Announced Into 4 Deaths from 2 Incidents Sharing 911 Response Concerns
Inquest Announced into the Deaths of Matthew Robert Humeniuk, Michael Isaac Kritz, Stephanie Joelle Bertrand and Kathryn Missen
Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario, today announced that a joint inquest will be held in the deaths of the following individuals:
- Matthew Robert Humeniuk, 33, and Michael Isaac Kritz, 34, died on June 30, 2013; Stephanie Joelle Bertrand, 25, died on July 8, 2013. All three died in Sudbury as the result of injuries sustained in a boating incident on Lake Wahnapitae on June 30, 2013.
- Kathryn Missen, 54, died on September 3, 2014, in Casselman, as the result of a medical condition.
While the circumstances of these two incidents are different, the commonality shared among the four deaths concerns Ontario’s 911 response system; section 25(2) of the Coroners Act permits a joint inquest where two or more deaths appear to have occurred in the same event or from a common cause.
The inquest will examine the events surrounding each of these deaths. It will provide an opportunity to enhance understanding of the 911 system and the coordination of emergency responders. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
Details regarding the date, location and presiding coroner will be provided when the information becomes available.
