Claire Rattée is demanding accountability following the death of a 22-year-old man who escaped from a Vernon hospital while under involuntary psychiatric care.
Rattée, the Skeena MLA and Conservative critic for mental health, addictions and housing supports, says “the system failed” Ezra Cool, who died after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 6.
According to Rattée, Cool voluntarily sought help at Vernon Jubilee Hospital while experiencing active psychosis. After assessment, he was certified under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act, meaning he was involuntarily admitted and legally required to remain under 24-hour supervision.
Six days later, Cool reportedly left the hospital wearing pyjamas and socks. Hours later, he was hit and killed.
“This never should have been able to happen,” Rattée said in a statement released Thursday. “When someone is certified under the Mental Health Act, that means the state has taken responsibility for their care and safety. If a patient in active psychosis can walk out of a hospital undetected after nearly a week under supervision, then the safeguards clearly failed.”
Rattée said the incident comes amid instability in Vernon’s psychiatric services, including recent resignations of psychiatrists that have raised concerns about staffing levels and patient oversight.
“You cannot have safe care without adequate staffing,” she said. “You cannot promise 24/7 supervision if there aren’t enough trained professionals on the floor. Families are being told the system will protect their loved ones. In this case, it didn’t.”
The Skeena MLA is calling on the Minister of Health to provide a full public explanation and to conduct an independent review into the circumstances surrounding Cool’s death.
Rattée said several urgent questions must be answered, including how a certified patient was able to leave undetected, whether proper supervision protocols were in place, and whether staffing shortages played a role.
“Ezra did exactly what we tell people to do when they are struggling — he asked for help,” she said. “His family trusted the system to keep him safe. They deserve accountability. And British Columbians deserve to know whether their loved ones would be protected in the same situation.”
Rattée added that the incident should not be treated as isolated.
“When psychiatric services are destabilized and oversight fails, people die,” she said. “The government cannot keep claiming the system is working when parents are burying their children.”
The Ministry of Health had not yet publicly responded to Rattée’s calls for an explanation at the time of publication.
