Search called off for two missing boaters
By Maria Cook and David Guy, The Ottawa Citizen
May 24, 2009 2:34 PM
Hope faded Sunday for two young men who went boating on the Ottawa River Saturday evening and were last seen going through the Deschênes Rapids in a yellow dinghy at about 8:15 p.m.
At about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Ottawa police, along with Ottawa and Gatineau fire officials, decided to call off the search for the pair.
Earlier Sunday, two search and rescue boats were seen slowly circling the choppy water of the rapids behind the Britannia water purification, plant as gulls circled above.
Searchers from the Ottawa Fire Department water rescue team and Ottawa police had searched the river and shoreline on both the Ottawa and Gatineau sides until midnight Saturday, the picked up the search at about 8 a.m. Sunday. Five boats, an airplane equipped with a heat-seeking system, at least 12 searchers and dogs were involved in the search.
They found the empty dinghy late Saturday night, just east of the rapids.
Ottawa Fire District Chief David Thompson said the two men are Asian, aged 20 and 28, and have not been in Canada for long, athough he did not know where they were from.
One man was wearing glasses, a white T-shirt and multi-coloured capri pants. His hairstyle is described as a "full hawk." The other man was wearing a black tank top and grey shorts.
Police have declined to release their names or hometowns.
A car left at the scene by one of the men, a white Audi, was found in a parking lot at Britannia Park.
A group of young men and women standing near the parking lot Sunday morning said they were friends of the two men, but did not want to talk about them. They said the missing men did not have family in Ottawa. At about noon Sunday, two young women were taken from the rescue command post in a police car.
In a clearing near the rapids, there a memorial plaque serves as a reminder of the river’s danger. It says:
On August 5, 1987 Chris Gosse, age 16, was swimming with friends. While he was walking across the rapids he missed a step and fell into the water. Two friends tried desperately to pull Chris from the current.
As the three boys struggled for survival, Chris with his last breath said “I love you” and let go. We love you Chris.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Search called off for two missing boaters
By Maria Cook and David Guy, The Ottawa Citizen
May 24, 2009 2:34 PM
Hope faded Sunday for two young men who went boating on the Ottawa River Saturday evening and were last seen going through the Deschênes Rapids in a yellow dinghy at about 8:15 p.m.
At about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Ottawa police, along with Ottawa and Gatineau fire officials, decided to call off the search for the pair.
Earlier Sunday, two search and rescue boats were seen slowly circling the choppy water of the rapids behind the Britannia water purification, plant as gulls circled above.
Searchers from the Ottawa Fire Department water rescue team and Ottawa police had searched the river and shoreline on both the Ottawa and Gatineau sides until midnight Saturday, the picked up the search at about 8 a.m. Sunday. Five boats, an airplane equipped with a heat-seeking system, at least 12 searchers and dogs were involved in the search.
They found the empty dinghy late Saturday night, just east of the rapids.
Ottawa Fire District Chief David Thompson said the two men are Asian, aged 20 and 28, and have not been in Canada for long, athough he did not know where they were from.
One man was wearing glasses, a white T-shirt and multi-coloured capri pants. His hairstyle is described as a "full hawk." The other man was wearing a black tank top and grey shorts.
Police have declined to release their names or hometowns.
A car left at the scene by one of the men, a white Audi, was found in a parking lot at Britannia Park.
A group of young men and women standing near the parking lot Sunday morning said they were friends of the two men, but did not want to talk about them. They said the missing men did not have family in Ottawa. At about noon Sunday, two young women were taken from the rescue command post in a police car.
In a clearing near the rapids, there a memorial plaque serves as a reminder of the river’s danger. It says:
On August 5, 1987 Chris Gosse, age 16, was swimming with friends. While he was walking across the rapids he missed a step and fell into the water. Two friends tried desperately to pull Chris from the current.
As the three boys struggled for survival, Chris with his last breath said “I love you” and let go. We love you Chris.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Search called off for two missing boaters
