Based on coverage from CBC, Global News, The Epoch Times, CP24, and KPTV.
A mystery from Vancouver’s waterfront just got a little less mysterious, thanks to some tiny grains of pollen.
Vancouver police say forensic testing on an unidentified woman found dead off Spanish Banks in 2022 points to her having recently been in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, likely around Seattle or Portland. The VPD is now taking the case south of the border, hoping someone recognizes her and helps put a name to her.
Vancouver Spanish Banks case reopened
The woman’s body was spotted floating in the water around 9 p.m. PT on Sept. 29, 2022, by a tugboat crew off Spanish Banks in English Bay. The crew brought her to the Kitsilano Coast Guard station, and Vancouver police began investigating. The file was later transferred to the VPD missing persons unit.
Police have described her as being of African descent and believed to be 30 to 40 years old. Investigators also noted she had short black hair pulled into a bun and distinctive freckles on her face.
Pollen forensics links to Seattle or Portland
The new lead comes from forensic pollen testing, a technique that can sometimes suggest where a person or object has recently been based on plant material that clings to clothing.
Last year, Vancouver police sent the woman’s backpack and sweater to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection laboratory in Chicago for specialized analysis. A report that came back in July 2025 found pollen grains and fern spores on her sweater consistent with “recent exposure to an urban environment within the Pacific Northwest, plausibly Seattle or Portland,” according to the VPD.
Police also say the lab found a “near total absence” of pollen and spores associated with the Vancouver area. Their takeaway: she likely wasn’t from Vancouver and may have spent her final days in or around Seattle or Portland before ending up in the water off Vancouver.
Evidence found near the kayak
When the tugboat crew found her, police say there was a blue inflatable kayak and an orange life vest floating nearby. Investigators have also said insulin and candy were found with her belongings.
Based on that, police have floated a theory that she may have suffered diabetic distress, capsized, and ended up in the water. It’s still a theory, not a confirmed timeline, but it helps explain why the items near her matter to investigators.
She had a backpack with her, but no wallet or identification.
Why she still hasn’t been identified
Despite years of work, Vancouver police say they have not been able to match her to any missing person report. They’ve searched across North America and through Interpol, with no confirmed match.
The VPD has also suggested she may never have been reported missing, while still believing “someone, somewhere” is looking for her. That’s part of what makes the new geographic clue so valuable: it narrows the public appeal to places where someone might recognize her.
Cross-border outreach in Washington and Oregon
Vancouver police are now renewing their public call for help and have released an updated video outlining the case, including an interview with the tugboat captain who found her.
Investigators also plan to travel to Seattle and hold a press conference there, working with the Seattle Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau to spread the word. The goal is straightforward: identify the woman and notify her family.
Anyone with information can email thekayaker@vpd.ca or call 604 717 0619.
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