Vancouver Police investigators in what was believed to have been a swarming incident Tuesday of a 48-year-old Vancouver woman have now confirmed this was not the case.

The victim was initially unable to be interviewed because she only recently regained consciousness. Meanwhile, a family member came forward to tell police what had really happened.

VPD Const. Lindsey Houghton said that a witness reported five laughing men allegedly swarming the woman in a large Rona parking lot at East 12th Avenue and Slocan Street shortly before 4:30 p.m Tuesday.

When called, police were told the men were seen kicking the woman and searching through her pockets as she lay on the ground.

It’s now believed that what the witness who called 911 saw was the woman’s family members trying to keep her from passing out. Apparently, some rough-housing and kicking also contributed to the witness believing it was a swarming.

All five family members left the woman after taking a bottle of alcohol away from her.

“This witness did the right thing,” says VPD Const. Lindsey Houghton. “You should always call the police if you think someone is in trouble and may need our help. It just took some time for our investigation to reveal what actually happened.”

Houghton described the event as very "sad," and added that it appears all family members live in the same house. The woman was still in the hospital as of early Wednesday afternoon.