Darcee Gosselin, teacher at John Taylor Collegiate, dies during field trip
Students at a Winnipeg high school are mourning after one of their teachers collapsed suddenly in record high temperatures last week while on a field trip in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
Darcee Gosselin died last week during a "sustainable wilderness" day trip to the park, located about 140 kilometres west of Winnipeg. She taught biology and psychology at John Taylor Collegiate.
Brett Lough, chief superintendent of the St. James–Assiniboia School Division, said Gosselin and two other teachers led a group of 21 students in Grade 11 and 12 into the park last Thursday.
Record high temperatures were measured across southern Manitoba that day. West of Spruce Woods in Brandon, 60 km away, temperatures reached 34.3 C.
When Gosselin dropped to the ground, students got the attention of the other two supervisors, Lough said. One performed CPR and first aid while the other called 911. An ambulance from Carberry, Man., took Gosselin to the local hospital, but medical staff were unable to revive her.
"It's extremely tough," Lough said, adding the primary focus of administration after Gosselin's death was to make sure staff and students were taken care of.
"When we first found out the information, that was our main concern: students as well as those that are close to Darcee on staff, all staff for that matter," Lough said.
Students are still dealing with the traumatic event, but Lough said school division administration has worked with teachers at John Taylor to offer counselling services to help everyone cope with the loss.
"We wanted to ensure when [students] came to school they had those kinds of supports," he said. "Different kids react differently. Some were angry, some were sad. At some point during the day, kids started to reflect fondly about Darcee and the relationships they had with her as a teacher.
"The other side of this is the staff. You have significant ties to a school, to your colleagues, and so it was quite a difficult time and still is for those staff members. For me, even more important — it can't get lost in this — a mother and a father lost their child."
The flag outside John Taylor remains at half-mast six days after Gosselin's death. A public celebration of life is planned at Keith Bodley Arena or the adjoining community centre on Thursday, Lough said.
Manitoba workplace safety investigating
Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety (WSH) are investigating Gosselin's death. A spokesperson with the organization said investigators will try to determine whether the hot conditions the day Gosselin died played a role in her death.
"We will look at whether workers were at risk of extreme heat exposure and if the measures implemented met WSH's requirements for thermal stress," the spokesperson said.
"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. There is nothing in the regulations about monitoring weather conditions, but that is an expectation."
