Body of second sibling pulled from lake

NUTIMIK LAKE — Twenty-four hours after the body of 10-year-old Maximo Au Ramirez was located in Nutimik Lake, searchers found the body of his 13-year-old brother, Aaron, who had gone into the water to rescue Maximo after he slipped in Saturday.

The announcement was made on social media by Nutimik Lodge in Whiteshell Provincial Park. “Our prayers have been answered” the post said. “Both boys have been recovered.”

Earlier Thursday, their parents said they are surviving their “unimaginable” loss only because of the overwhelming support they have received from the community.

In the afternoon, RCMP divers, the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team and civilian volunteers moved across Nutimik Lake, drones hovered above and media lined the beach as the search for Aaron continued.

The siblings had entered fast-moving rapids at Sturgeon Falls on Nutimik Lake while visiting the area with their father and friends. In a statement read by RCMP Staff Sgt. Cory Meyers Thursday afternoon, their parents described their grief as “terrible, horrible and unimaginable.”

“What we’ve gone through is not humanly possible to understand,” Meyers read from their statement. “We’re surviving only because of the help of those around us. We have so much gratitude for the people who are helping; this help is so overwhelming. It’s hard to understand how a community can be so strong for us and help us so much.”

The family expressed gratitude to the emergency responders, volunteers and community members who have supported them throughout the search.

“There are so many others that have come to help search or have provided us with hugs, prayers and hope,” the statement from the family read. “We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts. Please keep our sons, who were always faithful and kind, in your thoughts and in your prayers.”

Civilian searchers found Maximo’s body about 300 yards downstream from the falls and about 100 yards from shore.

Meyers said about 20 boats were on the water Thursday afternoon, with two or three people in each boat. Some of them had been out since 5 a.m.

“We’ve got a lot of volunteers here today, so we cover a lot of ground,” Meyers said. “Nothing truly in the lake is out of bounds for us.”

The RCMP drone unit assisted searchers by scanning the shoreline and water from above.

Cpl. Ryan Cadotte, who manages the unit, said the technology allows crews to see areas that may be difficult to view from the water.

“From an aerial perspective, we can see a couple feet into the water,” Cadotte said. “We can’t see very, very deep, but we can see slightly deeper than boaters on the water can. So effectively, we’re just trying to support their efforts in locating the individual.”

Campers and cottagers stood and sat on the shore as they reflected on the tragedy.

Elena Davidenko and Len Peterson said they have been camping at Nutimik Lake with their two boys, Stanley, 3, and Forrest, 8, for many years.

Davidenko said the tragedy has been difficult to process.

“It creates this feeling of sorrow for the community,” she said. “I cannot just let it go. (I’m thinking), how can I help? What can we do with that? If there’s any fundraising, what can we do?”

As a mother, Davidenko said the tragedy hits close to home.

“This could have happened to any of us,” she said. “They’re boys, they’re active, they want to explore.”

Davidenko said the tragedy led her to have a conversation with her eight-year-old son about the importance of practising water safety.

Peterson said there was a moment when he wondered whether the family should come to the beach after what happened: “But maybe it’s good to be here and hold space. Just silently pray for the boys and the family.”

Allison Baker-Thiessen, who owns Nutimik Lodge with her husband, Harry Thiessen, has been among those helping the family since the search began. She said late Thursday, the family members had just left the lodge, giving her hugs and thanks. She said she’s proud her community, her staff and all the volunteers involved, were able to help bring the boys home, saying the community will always be there for the family, as it has been an emotional and difficult time.

“It’s going to be challenging, but I told them today, tomorrow, or five-years from now, I will always be there, my husband will always be there for them,” she said. “And if you know them, please, support them, because they need the support.”

She said it was a long-time lodge visitor who found the boy and signalled to other rescuers, who were able to retrieve him from the water, saying he was located in the same area as his younger brother a day earlier.

Pinewood Lodge has also helped provide accommodation, while families in the community offered boats to assist with the search.

A GoFundMe established to help the family with expenses had raised just under $65,000 as of Thursday afternoon. The government announced it will assess high-risk trails and areas in the provincial parks system. The trail leading to Sturgeon Falls is closed until improvements are made.

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca