VICTORIA -- Mounties are investigating the discovery of a body at a burned-out cabin on northern Vancouver Island.
Port Hardy RCMP say they were made aware of the grisly discovery near Winter Harbour on Tuesday, but only released information to the public on Friday.
A caretaker at the remote cabin contacted police to report the cabin had burned down and they discovered what they believed to be human remains at the scene.
Police and the coroner have confirmed the remains are human.
Mounties say they believe the owner of an SUV found nearby is the deceased person found at the scene.
“Preliminary findings so far have not indicated anything suspicious about this person’s death, but we will wait for an autopsy before making any final conclusions,” said Port Hardy RCMP commander Staff-Sgt. Andy Phillips in a statement Friday.
Anyone who was in the area of Hecht Beach, approximately 30 kilometres from Winter Harbour, is asked to contact police if they have information about the fire or if they saw anyone else in the area.
Investigators say several social media posts have cropped up which incorrectly identify the remains as non-human. Police are asking for those posts be removed, along with images of the scene of the cabin fire.
Police and the coroner continue to investigate.
