Police in Guelph have been fielding calls on a regular basis about a recent death investigation.
The callers aren’t offering tips about the death or wondering what happened. They’re asking for help processing what they saw.
Saturday night, a man was found dead below the pedestrian footbridge over Norfolk Street.
As a result, roads in the area were closed for a five-hour police investigation. Because it was in a visible, high-traffic area of the downtown core, many people saw the man’s body, which had been covered with a tarp.
Police say they’ve received a number of calls since Saturday night from people who saw the body and haven’t been able to stop thinking of the images.
“It’s something that you see and really can’t unsee,” Const. Buzz Dean said Tuesday.
“You can’t underscore just how traumatic it can be.”
When police receive such a call, they forward the caller to Victim Services Wellington.
Liz Kent, the organization’s executive director, says the most important thing for anyone who witnesses a traumatic event is to not keep it to themselves.
“We’re encouraging people to reach out,” she said.
Victim Services Wellington has staff members who are available to listen to people in need of support, and the ability to refer people to resources for long-term help.
Kent says common symptoms of experiencing trauma can include not being able to eat or sleep, or having nightmares.
“Sometimes people think that what they’re experiencing is not normal, but a lot of times what they’re experiencing is normal,” she said
Police agree, saying they encourage anyone who needs support to get it.
“Everyone handles and processes these kinds of situations differently,” Dean said.
The man’s death is not considered suspicious.
Victim Services Wellington can be reached by calling Guelph police at 519-824-1212.
With reporting by Daryl Morris
