British Columbia

Alyssa George died of natural causes, inquest finds

A coroner's jury has ruled a young First Nations woman died of natural causes after going into medical distress in an RCMP cell in Terrace.

George found face-first on the floor of her jail cell 15 hours after being taken into custody.

Alyssa George, 25, went into medical distress while in RCMP custody and later died at Vancouver General Hospital. (Facebook)

A coroner's jury has ruled a young First Nations woman died of natural causes after going into medical distress while being held in RCMP cells in Terrace, B.C.

In September 2013, George, 25, was found face-first on the floor of her jail cell 15 hours after being taken into custody.

She was flown to Vancouver General Hospital for more intensive treatment, but died there on Sept.10, 2013.

An inquest was held into the death and the coroner's jury ruled she died of organ failure linked to alcohol withdrawal and substance abuse.

The jury's recommendations include a proper, medically staffed detox facility for Terrace.

The jury also recommended mandatory checks to rouse prisoners every 15 minutes, and better guard training in First Aid and cultural sensitivity.