American Sailor Dies In Victoria British Columbia

A U.S. Coast Guard Sailor who was found in downtown Victoria British Columbia earlier this week suffering from severe head injuries has died in hospital. Seaman James Asnin, 23, was spotted by a passer-by lying in a pool of blood in the lower parking lot outside a nightclub in the 1200-block of Wharf Street early Monday morning. It appeared that he had fallen or had been pushed from the sidewalk six metres above. Victoria police spokesperson Const. Rick Anthony says there will be a forensic autopsy to try to figure out what happened. "We're hoping that will reveal the mechanism of the injuries, and it might be able to eliminate the idea of an assault with a weapon." Police suspicions about a possible assault have been raised because the area is a known trouble spot, with plenty of brawls involving drunken bar patrons. Asnin is the third American sailor to be injured in a fall at the same spot in the past six months. Police say the young American had been seen walking in the area of Government and Pandora Streets a few hours earlier. And they're now asking for public assistance in determining his movements before he was found. Asnin was on shore leave while returning to his home base in Ketchikan, Alaska after three weeks training in Washington state. Meanwhile, Victoria city workers erected a new railing the day after the fatal fall. It's angled to prevent people from climbing on it. U.S. Coast Guard Seaman James Asnin