Volunteer rescue divers recovered the body of Hassan Mohamed, 14, around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, an RCMP spokesman said. RCMP were called to Rotary Park Outdoor Waterpark shortly before 4pm Sunday after a “child swimmer” went missing, police said in a news release the same day. The water park is located next to the park lake. RCMP initially said the missing swimmer was in the water with adults. But Ahmed Shukri, a long-time neighbor and friend of the teenager’s family, said Hassan fell into the lake by accident. RCMP, along with fire and emergency services, searched the lake on Sunday and Monday. Hassan’s father, Abdi Ahmed, said the past three days had been tough for everyone, especially Hassan’s twin brother. “It’s very difficult for us,” Ahmed told CBC News on Tuesday morning. “We have to be strong right now.” Ahmed said his son, who attended John D. Bracco High School in northeast Edmonton, was the oldest of eight children. He was kind and responsible, often helping his parents, his father said.
Multi-day search
Edmontonian Kaitlin Blake, who was staying at a campsite near Mayerthorpe over the weekend, was one of several volunteer swimmers who searched the lake for Hassan. On Sunday afternoon, he heard cries for help. She grabbed a pair of glasses and ran to the lake, dressed. “The first thing that goes through my mind, as a mom, is, ‘Oh my God, I have to get my kid out,’” Blake said. He said he had been looking for more than half an hour, but it was hard to see in the murky water. A fountain in the lake was running until someone turned it off, he added. Blake said search and rescue personnel arrived and searched for the missing teenager, first with boats and oars and then with a net.
Volunteer diving group
Cpl. Michael Hibbs with Whitecourt RCMP said the first day of the search ended shortly after midnight Sunday. Efforts resumed Monday around 8 a.m. and continued until 7 p.m., when crews cleaned the lake to allow sediment to settle. Tuesday morning was the earliest volunteer dive teams could arrive, Hibbs said. Audrey Shillabeer, volunteer administrator of the Underwater Search Team, said in an email that the team’s thoughts are with the teenager’s family and communities. He said the team had just spent three days at the Spray Lakes in southwestern Alberta when they were called to Whitecourt, with just enough time to repair and clean equipment. The group was later called to Peace River. “Development takes time and again, as emergency volunteers, they’re moving as fast as they can,” Shillabeer said. The search team is not funded and in most cases relies heavily on the resources of its volunteers, he said. Ahmed Shruki, a family friend, says the death raises concerns about the attraction’s safety. (Travis McEwan/CBC) Shukri, a long-time neighbor of the family, said the area is an attraction that draws the Somali community from Edmonton. “I’m sure we all feel that this should have been … this could have been avoided, especially knowing that there are young children that come here.” He said more security measures should be taken. “We say this should be a warning.” In a press release Tuesday morning, issued before the body was recovered, the city of Whitecourt expressed its condolences to the teenager’s family “during this tragic and difficult time.” The release said Rotary Park remains closed and access points to the facility are blocked. According to the Lifesaving Society, Alberta and Northwest Territories Branch, the province sees an average of 30 fatal drownings each year and about 160 non-fatal emergency department visits. Whitecourt is located approximately 180 kilometers northwest of Edmonton.
