Virtual walk honours lost teen and raises money for youth mental health charities vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In early December, when they discovered Andre had stopped taking his medication for depression and anxiety, the Courtemanches had called the youth crisis line and their family doctor. The doctor had referred Andre to a psychiatrist six months earlier, when the teen said his medication wasn’t working. But by late December, as Andre’s mental health deteriorated, the family still hadn’t received a call from a psychiatrist. Denise pressed the family doctor to check on the referral. On Jan. 3, two days after Andre was last seen leaving his Cressida Crescent home and walking along the E & N rail line that abuts the backyard, the couple got a call about a psychiatric appointment in February.
There have been five deaths at the Goldstream Trestle between 2016 and 2020, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. “We’re as broken-hearted about this as anyone else,” said Larry Stevenson, CEO of the Island Corridor Foundation. “It’s so bloody tragic.” Stevenson said he has reached out to the RCMP, the Langford fire department, the Ministry of Health and B.C. Parks to form a working group to come up with safety measures for the trestle. “I’m trying to put a group together to come up with solutions to mitigate this risk,” he said, adding that he hopes the discussion can take place as soon as possible.
Parents of missing Langford teen plead for helping looking for their son timescolonist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timescolonist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Andre walked out the back of the property, which connects with the E & N trail. His parents do not know if he headed north or south, which is why they’re asking anyone from Victoria to Shawnigan Lake to look out for their son. The couple is worried that Andre might be suicidal, since he had stopped taking medication for depression. Much of the search has focused on Goldstream Park, since Andre had previously talked about jumping off the trestle, said Denise Courtemanche. “I just kind of feel and pray that he got to the trestle and he decided to keep walking north,” said Glenn Courtemanche.