Ottawa man, two-year-old-son, plunge to their deaths in Australia
Posted Feb 21, 2012 04:45:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BRISBANE, Australia – A Canadian man and his two-year-old son have died after falling off a bridge in Australia.
Police in Brisbane say they are investigating the deaths after the two appeared to have fallen from the Story Bridge.
They would not say if the case is being treated as a murder-suicide, as some Australian media reports suggest, and would only say the investigation is ongoing.
Regional Crime Co-ordinator Michael Niland called the incident “a terrible family tragedy” adding the family is “absolutely distressed.”
The Canadian man, Jason Lees, has a Facebook page which says he’s from Ottawa and attended Ridgemont High School before studying at Carleton University.
The page also says the 40-year-old was a teacher at Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane. The school’s headmaster, Jonathan Hensman, confirmed Lees’ death in an e-mailed statement, saying the school was “deeply saddened by the sudden passing of one of its Prep School teachers.”
“Mr. Jason Lees was a highly regarded and much loved teacher whose kindness to his students, his gentlemanly approach and enthusiasm for teaching were appreciated by students, parents and his colleagues,” Hensman said.
“The impact this sudden news has had on our community is significant and as we work through our grief we are concerned for our boys whom he taught in the classroom or coached on the sports-field.’
The school is providing counselling to students and staff who need it.
