VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is facing a lawsuit following the death of Benjamin Marks Woo, the son of Canadian Senator Yuen Pau Woo. His body was discovered on the grounds of Vancouver General Hospital four days after he went missing from involuntary psychiatric care. The lawsuit, filed in British Columbia Supreme Court, alleges negligence on the part of the health authority and its medical staff in connection with Woo's death in November 2023.

Woo's mother, Dr. Patricia McAvity, claims she had alerted hospital staff about her son's potential risk of suicide and drug overdose. The lawsuit states that Woo, a 32-year-old musician, had struggled with mental illness for approximately ten years. He was committed as an involuntary patient at Vancouver General Hospital in August 2023.

According to the civil claim, Woo was allowed to leave the hospital for a one-hour cigarette break on November 11 but did not return. The lawsuit contends that staff failed to conduct a proper search of the hospital grounds after he went missing, despite his parents expressing concerns. McAvity's lawyer, Anthony Leoni, noted that his client is too distressed to comment on the case, and neither Senator Woo nor the health authority has provided immediate responses.

The lawsuit claims that the facility permitted patients to take temporary absences based on their behavior, and Woo had been assessed as a low risk for going absent without leave. However, McAvity's claim asserts that staff incorrectly assured them that a search of the grounds had been conducted after Woo's disappearance. It further states that no adequate search was performed, particularly in areas where Woo was last seen and where drug paraphernalia was known to be located.

The delay in locating Woo's body meant he did not receive any life-saving treatment, and as a result, his organs could not be donated, which he had wished for. The lawsuit does not specify the cause of Woo's death, and the allegations made in the claim have yet to be tested in court.

Defendants named in the lawsuit include the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Dr. Vineet Singh, Paladin Security Group, and unnamed hospital employees. Woo's personal website indicates that he studied at Harvard University, where he served as the conductor for the Harvard Mozart Society Orchestra. In his memoir, he expressed feelings of stigma regarding his mental health, stating that he was disheartened by the perception of his experiences as a debilitating illness. He also shared a contrasting view, saying, "I have seen and experienced realities, inner and outer realities, of wonder, of faith, of beauty and which I am excited to share."