KENOSEE LAKE — A coroner’s inquest into the 2021 death of a Kennedy woman was held at Kenosee Lake last week. Over Nov. 18 and 19, a six-person jury heard from witnesses involved with events that occurred three years prior, ultimately concluding where, when and by what manner the woman died, and compiling a list of six suggestions to two agencies in the interest of preventing future deaths.
On Nov. 8, 2021, Kristin Lee Grant called Broadview RCMP with a complaint about people in her house, just before 9 p.m. When police arrived, members found Grant to be agitated and noticed some injuries on her body. Members attending tried to calm Grant, but she was only becoming more agitated. RCMP felt Grant was becoming a danger to herself, handcuffed her, then placed Grant in the back seat of an RCMP cruiser while waiting for EMS to arrive on scene.
When a first responder did arrive, Grant became unresponsive and lifesaving measures began. Once EMS came on scene, they decided to transport Grant to the Kipling Integrated Health Centre and continued with resuscitation attempts while en route.
Attempts to revive Grant were not successful and an attending physician pronounced her deceased at the hospital.
An inquest is held by the Chief Coroner whenever a person dies while in custody unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.
After hearing two days of testimony, the jury established that Grant had died on Nov. 9, 2021, at 2:27 a.m. at the Kipling Integrated Health Centre due to accidental acute methamphetamine toxicity.
They did provide four recommendations to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, being as follows:
1. First responders be allowed to drive the ambulance if they hold a valid driver's license, even if it is not a Class 4.
2. Incentives for first responders/EMS to recruit staff and retain staff in rural areas, i.e. paying for schooling, training and more hours/money for staffing.
3. Ensuring communities with first responders have access to and are supplied with equipment that is required.
4. LUCAS (Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System) devices for rural/remote ambulance services dealing with staffing issues.
The jury also had a pair of recommendations for the RCMP, being:
1. Daily inspections of police cruisers, along with the audio and video checked at the beginning of shifts.
2. More access to body cameras for police officers to wear in the field and when responding to calls, to protect both parties involved.
