Two men were stabbed, one seriously, during a fight at a New Year’s party in Saanich.
It was the most serious incident to result from people ringing in the new year, police in the Greater Victoria region reported Tuesday.
The fight began at about 4 a.m. Tuesday on the 400 block of Boleskine Road. When police arrived, they “faced a chaotic scene at the single-family residence where the occupants were celebrating New Year’s,” Saanich Sgt. Chris Horsley said in a statement.
A 25-year-old man at the home suffered a cut to the head. He was taken to Royal Jubilee Hospital.
A second man, 23, confronted the suspects about 200 metres away. He, too, was attacked and stabbed in his head and torso, police said.
“This [second] male was transported to Victoria General Hospital with a life-threatening stab injury,” Horsley said.
“It was close, according to the ER physician,” Horsley said. “When he got to hospital, he had about 20 minutes to live.”
Two of the man’s internal organs are believed to have been pierced.
The second victim underwent surgery and is expected to recover, police said. He told police he did not know the suspects.
The first victim, however, has been “very unco-operative,” police said.
Police don’t know what precipitated the incident.
When police arrived on the scene, people were fleeing. About five young men live in the home and all are believed to be employed, police said. “We may have other injured victims or suspects,” Horsley said.
Police continued to hunt for the suspects Tuesday after using a tracking dog to follow the fleeing suspects northbound to the area of Harriet Road and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Victoria police, meanwhile, arrested 10 people for public intoxication, mischief and assaults during the New Year’s Eve celebration. During a 12-hour period from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, there were 79 calls to Victoria police. That led to five arrests for public intoxication, one arrest for mischief and four arrests for assaults (in three altercations), police said.
“VicPD officers had another busy New Year’s Eve, with calls for service being about on par with past years,” spokesman Mark MacIntyre said.
In Nanaimo, the RCMP made 22 arrests related to alcohol on New Year’s Eve.
The Nanaimo detachment received 95 calls for service, Staff Sgt. Dave Herman said. “That’s about double a weekend night. It’s normal for a New Year’s Eve.”
In Saanich, there were about 68 calls for service from 5 p.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday, with just two arrests for public intoxication.
Westshore RCMP could not be reached for comment.
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