River claims life of ‘always smiling’ boy, 9

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This article was published 05/07/2020 (2063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two days after a nine-year-old boy was pulled into the Red River’s current, his family stood on the riverbank where he was last seen to process the tragic end of the nearly 48-hour-long search.

Darius Bezecki, his two brothers and a friend were biking near Ernie O’ Dowda Park on Friday afternoon when the group made its way down to the riverbank. The friends waded into the water near a calm area on the east shore of the Red River to cool off on the scorching hot summer afternoon around 4:30 p.m., which is when Darius disappeared.

On Sunday, shortly after 2 p.m, Winnipeg police issued a grim update on the search for the young boy: he had been found dead in the Red River.

Darius’ family said he will be remembered as a happy boy who was “always smiling.” On Sunday, the family gave thanks to the Winnipeg Police Service search teams, Bear Clan Patrol, Thunderbird, Evelyn Memorial Search Team and all the other community members who dropped off food, drinks and firewood over the weekend.

A private vigil for family members was held Sunday evening on the site where much of the search took place. A public vigil is scheduled for today at 4:30 p.m. at Ernie O’Dowda Park.

“It is incredibly sad, and the outcome no one was looking for,” Const. Jay Murray said in an email.

Darryl Contois, a member of the Evelyn Memorial Search Team, echoed those sentiments Sunday afternoon. Contois had been out on the river all day in the recovery effort until he learned Darius’ body had been found.

“The family are very distraught … Our heart and prayers go out to the family, at this time. We all worked together and we brought this closure,” Contois said.

The body was found by a fisherman approximately four kilometres north of the Perimeter Highway. Police were then called and the dive team went into the area and discovered the body in the middle of the river.

Search teams had set out on boot and boat on Sunday, the third day of the search to locate the boy. His family had waited anxiously, gathered by tents set up near the riverbank. Family members had been on site, sleeping in tents in the park, since Friday; they planned to stay a final night Sunday, in part, to keep a ceremonial fire going in Darius’ honour.

Community members stopped by to offer their prayers, and to volunteer their time to help find Darius.

“It’s going to be a tough day,” Kevin Walker, leader of the Bear Clan’s community search effort, said earlier in the day.

Equipped with binoculars and a radio, he found a spot on the Louise Bridge to look out on the river as a dozen Bear Clan volunteers searched the dense brush around the river. The team was out searching until dark the night before.

After Darius was found, members of the Bear Clan gathered with family on the riverbank to offer a woman warrior song, a ceremonial song from the west coast typically sung for missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Darius’ mother, father, two brothers, sister, aunts, uncles and friends lingered by the river Sunday afternoon.

The Bezeckis asked that community members do not start a fundraiser for them. The family plans to appoint someone to start a campaign. 

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie