High school teacher dies during field trip

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/05/2016 (3450 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A John Taylor Collegiate teacher died Thursday during the high school’s field trip to Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

Darcee Gosselin, a John Taylor teacher for more than 10 years, collapsed suddenly around 4 p.m on what ended up being a record hot day with temperatures in the Brandon-Carberry area of 33.7 C, breaking the 82-year-old record for that day by four degrees.

St. James-Assiniboia School Division superintendent Brett Lough said Gosselin was one of three adult supervisors — two teachers and an educational assistant — with a group of 21 Grade 11 and 12 students on a Sustainable Wilderness class field trip at Spruce Woods.

“Near the end of the field trip, a teacher supervisor collapsed and a student got the attention of the other supervisors. Another supervisor teacher assessed the situation and performed CPR and the other individual (adult) contacted EMS which then took the teacher, as well as the teacher that performed CPR, to Carberry Hospital,” Lough said.

“It is such a tragic situation for the family and friends, our staff and our students. Our thoughts are with the family at this time as they grieve the loss of their daughter.”

Gosselin taught biology and psychology, the school’s website stated. She also volunteered with music theatre, junior varsity girls’ volleyball, the Piper Classic basketball tournament and the graduation committee.

Lough said heat could have been a factor but could not provide further information.

Lough said his office co-ordinated the school division’s crisis response team, which was deployed to John Taylor Collegiate Friday morning to support students and staff.

“Support services met with staff prior to the morning (start of classes) and then met with the students,” Lough said. “For students that were going through the various levels of grief, certainly there were people there to support students and support teachers. For the teachers, who work together so closely, that connection would be really strong. We had many people on deck to help the students and staff through a very trying day.”

He said the school division follows the province’s weather forecasts and there was not a heat advisory for that day.

Spruce Woods Provincial Park is about 160 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

A provincial spokeswoman said Workplace Safety and Health (is aware of the incident and is investigating. In an email statement, the spokeswoman said the provincial agency will look at whether workers were at risk of extreme heat exposure and if measures were implemented to meet requirements for thermal stress.

“There is mention in the Workplace Safety and Health Act about employers having to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of its workers and other persons, but WSH’s primary focus is the workers,” read part of the statement. “There is nothing in the regulations about monitoring weather conditions, but that is an expectation.”

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca