Former RCMP officer says cancer diagnosis linked to 1978 assignment covering radioactive Soviet satellite

A former RCMP officer believes he got a rare cancer after attending a crashed radioactive satellite in the Arctic in 1978.

A former RCMP officer who attended a crashed Soviet satellite in the Arctic nearly 50 years ago believes the radiation from the satellite has caused his rare cancer.

Lance Rayner was stationed in the community of Lutselk’e, which is on the eastern end of Great Slave Lake, in January 1978 when he was deployed to a crashed satellite nearby.

He said he and another officer were responsible for securing the area and ensuring the Soviets didn’t come and try to repatriate it.

“We were the first ones on the site and we were none the wiser,” said Rayner. “There was no protective gear whatsoever.”

Military personnel were also deployed to the area and some of them told Rayner the satellite was radioactive, but he didn’t think much else of it.

“They gave us dosimeters to wear, one against our skin and one against our outside clothing. Our tent was set within 25 yards of this thing, and that’s where we were to stay.”

He said the supplies they had at the site were limited. They had army rations but no water, as it would freeze during that time of year.

“We were literally gathering snow and melting it. Unbeknownst to us, we never thought of it, there was dust, radioactive dust particles, on that snow that we were ingesting,” he said.

In the years after that assignment, Rayner didn’t think much of it until the other officer who was with him, Bob Grinstead, called him in 2015.

Rayner said Grinstead told him he had leukemia, and it was likely due to the events that happened in 1978.

“His genetic oncologist said they could tell by his leukemia a specific chromosome was damaged. It was caused by high-level radiation exposure and some of that was from drinking it.”

At the time, Rayner was feeling fine, but in 2021, he noticed swelling on his cheek. In March 2022, he was diagnosed with a rare salivary gland tumour.

“I underwent seven and a half hours of surgery,” he said. “They were going to do a graft on my facial nerve, but it was too far gone because the cancer had killed that nerve. My ENT also took out 69 or 70 lymph nodes between my ears and my collarbone, and 17 of them were malignant, and it had gone to my lungs. So I was stage four.”

Rayner underwent 20 rounds of chemo and started a hormone treatment to shrink the cancer in his lungs.

He said, so far, the treatment has shrunk the nodules on his lungs by a half to two-thirds.

“I’m not in full remission yet,” he said, “but let’s say all my nodules are dormant or are benign.”

Shortly after being diagnosed, Rayner said he applied for compensation with Veterans Affairs Canada.

Following multiple denials and appeals, Rayner was approved by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board late last year, being told the cancer was caused by radiation from a worksite.

He hopes his story will help other veterans who are fighting for more support not to give up.

“If you’re told no, don’t walk away,” he said. “Brush up with your paperwork and reapply. They may say no again and reapply. Don’t take no for an answer.”

A spokesperson for the Veterans Review and Appeal Board said the board provides an independent appeal process for veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP.

“At the review hearing, applicants have the opportunity to share their story, and board members listen to this testimony and any evidence that is presented. The process is non-adversarial; there is free representation available and no time limit to submit an application,” the spokesperson said.

They noted due to privacy reasons, they are unable to comment on the specifics of any case.