BODY FOUND IN BOAT THAT BURNED IN ORILLIA PARKING LOT

ORILLIA — Why did Wayne Reed die in a boat that burned early Thursday morning?

Was he sleeping in it when it caught fire?

Or did he die before beforehand?

Police are investigating after discovering the 37-year-old Orillia man’s body in the vessel that went up in flames in a parking lot.

They say that just after 6 a.m. emergency crews got a 911 call to a business on Royce Avenue.

OPP say they were met by Orillia Fire Department (OFD) members who put out the fire.

Afterwards Reed was discovered inside.

The Orillia OPP Crime Unit, Central Region Forensic Identification Unit (FIS) and The Office of the Fire Marshall (OFM) were called in to assist the coroner in the investigation.

Police were able to identify the deceased as John Wayne REED, age 37, of Orillia. A post mortem examination has been scheduled and will be conducted at the‎ Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Services (OCC-OFPS) in Toronto.

The Orillia OPP and Orillia OPP Crime Unit are continuing this investigation. If anyone has any information on the circumstances surrounding this death they are encouraged to contact the Orillia OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 1-705-326-3536.