Inquest begins into 3 Abbotsford Hospital mental health suicides

An inquest into the deaths of three people who committed suicide shortlyafter leaving theAbbotsford Regional Hospital psychiatric ward begins today.

The B.C. Coroners Service says although none of the patients knew each other, a joint inquest is warranted.

"After they left the psychiatric wardunder a series of different circumstances and against medical advicewithin a very short time of leaving each of them very, very sadly committed suicide," said B.C. Coroners Service spokeswoman Barb McLintock.

"Because it was the same hospital and a close period of time the chief coroner thought that pulling them all together into one inquest would allow a look at how the mental heath system works in terms of people who are in hospital for depression, metal illness or suicide [risk] and what recommendations might be made that might prevent this sort of thing from happening again."

Brian David Geisheimer, 30,died in Mission inDecember of 2014 after walking away from the hospital.

Four months later, 19-year-old Sebastien Pavit Abdi died at his family home in Abbotsford.

On the same day41-year-old Sarah Louise Charles died in herAbbotsford apartment building.