A fatal accident at the Conifex mill in Fort St. James has left a 44year-old Prince George man dead.
According to RCMP, they received a call reporting a sudden death at the mill at just after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning and members attended the scene.
Upon investigation, it appears a piece of equipment slid inside a building the man was helping to deconstruct, crushing him in his midsection. He was an employee of a contractor, and no Conifex employee was injured in the incident.
When coworkers found the man unresponsive, they conducted CPR until ambulance arrived, but the man was declared dead at the scene.
RCMP helped to conduct an investigation on behalf of the Coroner Service, and a coroner attended the scene as well from Fraser Lake, because the coroner out of Vanderhoof was unavailable. Victims Services was called in to assist the coworkers.
Work Safe BC was also on site to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Horsnell said it was probably the hardest day of his entire working career and "all of us here at the Conifex Group were heartbroken."
"We're in shock, to be honest," said Horsnell, sending out condolences to the family.