Overview
- A tugboat crew found an unidentified woman floating near Spanish Banks on Sept. 29, 2022, and she died after being taken to hospital with no identification.
- Vancouver police sent the woman’s sweater and backpack to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection lab in Chicago and received a report in July 2025 showing pollen and fern spores consistent with the Seattle–Portland corridor.
- On May 25–26, 2026, the VPD released an updated video with the pollen findings and said officers will travel to Seattle and hold joint news conferences with Seattle and Portland police to seek tips.
- Investigators note the woman carried insulin and candy and that a limited autopsy report flagged signs consistent with severe anaphylaxis rather than drowning; foul play is not suspected in the reported accounts.
- Police say the woman may never have been reported missing and are asking anyone with information to call 604-717-0619 or email thekayaker@vpd.ca as they hope U.S. outreach will generate new leads and identify her family.