Yet another overdose victim

Photo: Contributed

Friends and family of a well known Penticton resident, known to many as “Bear”, are mourning his loss after he died of an overdose last week.

Joseph Frocklage confirmed on Tuesday, that his son Joseph Foy, 46, died after snorting what he believes to be a mix of heroin and fentanyl on Friday morning.

"I've never hated before, my parents raised us never to hate," he said. "But I hate the people who are shoving these drugs down people's throats."

Frocklage described his son as a good guy, with some drug issues. Bear recently began living with his parents at their 55 plus residence in the city.

He was planning on staying there until after Christmas, with surgeries scheduled at the hospital afterwards. At the time he was told there was to be no drinking and no “street people”.

He lasted for about four days.

On Thursday night, he showed up at the home with a woman. Bear ended up using drugs with the woman in the early hours of Friday morning.

He was found dead the next morning in his room after the woman had left.

People on the streets of Penticton who knew Bear remembered him as a good guy, who was always smiling and spreading happiness and would give anyone the shirt off his back.

His death is part of a spike in overdoses in Penticton that have hit the city hard in recent weeks.

A GoFundMe page drawing attention to the overdose crisis, and to help out those impacted has been created by Bear's family.