Have body, will travel

Fire chief Christopher Carleton has announced that a resolution regarding the transport of bodies from Point Roberts to the mainland U.S. has been reached. In an email sent April 18, Carleton wrote that because of “further discussion and collaboration with the county medical examiner, Whatcom County officials, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and others, we have developed a streamlined process to better assist you when a loved one dies unexpectedly in the community.”

The All Point Bulletin reported in the April issue that Carleton said he had been trying to no avail to get the county or state to get involved after the county medical examiner denied responsibility for the infrequent job of taking people who have died on the Point down to Bellingham.

“It’s a very simple thing,” Carleton said. “We have around 3-6 people die up here each year and in order to transport them through Canada to Bellingham, we have to notify Health Canada in Ottawa that the person did not die of a communicable disease. To do so requires an attestation to that effect and the medical examiner is refusing to provide that,” he said. “He has told us to call the person’s primary care physician. Well, you can’t do that at 2 in the morning.”

According to Carleton, “official documentation and approved protocols are now in place to facilitate the transportation of remains with greater ease and dignity.”