Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Nov 04/05) - The tragic deaths of two local men have left residents reeling.

Rick Sanderson, 43, and Dennis Thurber, 35, died Oct. 28 when a 20-metre communications tower they were installing in Enterprise came into contact with electrical wires.

Rick Sanderson (above): remembered for his lively personality and sense of humour. Dennis Thurber (below): was friendly and quick to smile as he walked to work.

A third man at the site was uninjured. They were working for SSI Micro.

The Workers Compensation Board, Human Resources Development Canada and the RCMP are all investigating the accident.

Sgt. Greg Downing, of the Hay River RCMP detachment, said the police are looking for any sign of foul play, but none was suspected as of Tuesday.

Sanderson leaves behind a wife and a son, Thurber a wife and daughter. Berna Landry, Chief of the Deh Gah Got'ie Koe First Nation, said the community was stunned by the news.

The RCMP and nurses quickly offered support to the families, as did the men's friends, although they were still in shock themselves, Landry noted.

"Everybody's keeping busy to help out whichever way they can, cooking or cleaning," she said.

A funeral service for both men was held Tuesday afternoon. Friends and acquaintances from Deh Cho communities and beyond were in attendance.

Landry said she will remember Sanderson for his lively personality and his great sense of humour.

"He liked to make you laugh. He was funny," she said.

As well, he was a community volunteer who was fond of the outdoors and enjoyed going on hunts, she added.

She said she didn't know Thurber well, but often saw him walking to and from work and he was quick to smile or wave.

Many people in the community were still coming to terms with the passing of elder Adeline Constant last week.

Four counsellors from Fort Simpson flew to Fort Providence on Monday to assist local staff in grief counselling.

Initially it's common for those closest to the deceased to feel numb and have trouble concentrating, mental health counsellor Jen Olson explained.

They may experience this for hours or weeks and they might have trouble sleeping or lose their appetites, she said.

"It's important for people to know that that's normal," she said.

Eventually, as they grapple with anguish, people should express their inner thoughts either by talking to others or going on a walk and talking out loud to the person they've lost. Perhaps writing thoughts in a journal or a letter will help, Olson suggested.

"We have to get it outside of us, otherwise it just festers and doesn't go away," she said.

Although alcohol and drugs may be tempting to offset the pain, Olson recommended against it as the problem still must be dealt with.

If the misery persists and makes it hard to function, she said visiting a counsellor would be best.