Human remains found near river in Langley, B.C.

Human remains have been found near the Nicomekl River and investigators are now trying to determine the cause of death.

The trails around the Nicomekl River are scenic, and a good place for a walk.

But on Sunday, there was a disturbing discovery for one passerby late in the afternoon, who called in after spotting human remains in a creek bed not far from 53A Avenue and 206 Street in Langley.

“Our frontline officers attended the location, where they located the remains and promptly notified the B.C. Coroners Service, which has since confirmed the remains are human,” Const. Meghan Marsden told reporters at a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Langley RCMP detachment.

Investigators have been searching the area thoroughly for evidence.

“Over the past two days, Langley RCMP have remained on scene alongside the E-Division underwater recovery team, conducting additional searches of the river for any items that may be associated to the investigation,” said Marsden.

She said it’s unclear how long the deceased has been in the area, and declined to provide any identifying details such as gender or approximate age.

Police said there is not currently any evidence that would indicate foul play was involved and there is no ongoing risk to the public.

The RCMP and B.C. Coroner’s service are working to identify the body, establish a timeline and determine the circumstances around the person’s death, Marsden said, stressing the investigation is in its early stages.

The detachment asked anyone with information to call 604-532-3200 and reference file number 2026-15130.

For those who walk through the trails on a regular basis, the discovery is disturbing.

“Scary, upsetting,” said Sharon Dekker, a regular park user. “I walk this trail a couple of time a day and I did see it – probably a week or so ago – but it looked like an animal to me, so I didn’t make too much of it. Now that I know it’s human remains, I’m upset. Scared.”

Dekker went on to say she regrets not calling in what she saw herself – not initially realizing the remains were human.

“I didn’t know until I read it online,” Dekker said. “But I feel bad that I didn’t call right away. That I didn’t report it right away when I saw it. Instead of going a couple of days looking and not doing anything – I should have called right away.”

The coroners’ service will attempt to identify who this person was and contact family.

But as long as the cause of death remains unknown, this discovery in their local park remains an unsettling experience for the neighbourhood.