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Retiree was the victim of mail bomb blast in Port Alice: neighbour

Sep 13, 2018 | 5:46 PM

PORT ALICE, B.C. — A retired pulp mill worker has been identified as the victim of a mail bomb attack in the tiny village of Port Alice on Vancouver Island.

The Mounties say they are investigating a targeted blast that went off when the victim opened a mail package at a home on Tuesday.

Cathy Anderson said Thursday her neighbour Roger Nepper, who has lived in Port Alice for more than 30 years, was injured in the explosion.

She said her husband saw Nepper holding an injured hand when he climbed into a neighbour’s vehicle to be taken to the local health clinic.

“He had one hand, he was grabbing one hand when he climbed into his neighbour’s truck to get to the hospital,” Anderson said.

An official with Island Health in Victoria said Nepper remained in hospital and did not want to comment.

Deputy Mayor Bruce Lloyd said Nepper is in his mid 60s and is known in the community of about 800 people as a former local boxing coach.

“He was a boxer, a very good boxer,” said Lloyd. “He taught boxing when he first moved up here. He taught the whole town boxing.”

Nepper was employed as a mason at the local pulp mill, which has been shut down since March 2015, said Lloyd. Nepper retired about 15 years ago.

The RCMP has not identified who was injured but say the victim received serious but non life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Cathy Anderson saw her neighbour Roger Nepper be taken to the hospital.