Alex Sohn wears his son's UBC jacket which he says fits a bit small, in Burnaby, B.C., on June 17. Mr. Sohn's 19-year-old son Kyle, died in a dormitory at UBC two years ago.Kyle Sohn’s roommates at the University of British Columbia residence awoke one morning to loud groaning sounds coming from behind his locked bedroom door. An alarm clock droned on. They called his cellphone over and over and pounded on the door to no avail.
By the time first responders finally got into Mr. Sohn’s room, the 19-year-old was on the floor beneath his bed – with no pulse. Paramedics administered naloxone and used CPR to get his heart started again, but he was declared brain dead upon arriving at the hospital. Mr. Sohn’s father says police told him it was an overdose, and an analysis of his blood found the presence of opiates, but the“We’re students and friends of his,” Mr. Fox said.
“When he went to a dormitory, I would never, never have thought about, worried about, his safety,” he said.The residence contract each student signs says “authorized personnel of the university” can enter an accommodation without prior notice “to ensure the health and safety of any member of the community.”
“Residence units are private spaces, much like rental suites off campus, so it is inappropriate for UBC staff to enter without permission unless the situation is a time-sensitive emergency,” he said in an e-mail. Another measure that Mr. Sohn’s family believes could have made a difference would have been the presence of a dedicated on-campus emergency response team. Such teams, which are in place at other Canadian schools, including UBC’s Okanagan campus, comprise students with a passion for health care. They are trained in advanced first aid and receive mentorship, guidance and medical direction from a practising physician. The same year Mr.