One of the Vancouver's most talented sportswriters has been added to the growing toll of fentanyl victims.

Jason Botchford was 48 years old when he died on April 25, 2019. He wrote for the Athletic and before that, the Province, and was survived by his wife Kathryn and three children.

On August 28, three days in advance of International Overdose Awareness Day, his widow revealed that the coroner's office confirmed that Botchford died of an "accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl".

"We were completely shocked and in disbelief to discover the cause of Jason's sudden death," Kathryn Botchford stated. "The cause does not change who Jason was to all of us but just makes his death that much harder to comprehend. We are still grieving."

She added that the family is grateful for the support they received following his death. She asked the media to respect her privacy and that of her children, saying she would have no further comment.

After Botchford died, the Straight's sports blogger, Nathan Caddell, wrote a glowing tribute.

According to Caddell, Botchford "reinvented the game story" while managing to get "great, personable quotes out of hockey players".

"Everyone in the market was jealous of Botch, that much was clear," Caddell declared. "He made reading about hockey fun again, and blew the lid off the Vancouver sports media like few (well, none) dared."

In June, B.C. set a record with 177 suspected illicit-drug overdose deaths. Last month, another 175 people died from overdoses.

https://twitter.com/OverdoseDay/status/1299663131254325248