The body of a 14-year-old Edmonton boy was recovered Tuesday from the pond at the Rotary Park in Whitecourt, Alta. after he fell in the water on Sunday afternoon.
In an update to the media on site in Whitecourt on Tuesday, RCMP Cpl. Michael Hibbs said the boy was found Tuesday morning by a volunteer dive rescue team.
Hibbs said the pond is about eleven feet deep.
In an interview with Global News on Monday evening, the boy’s mother said her son was with his twin brother at the time and was not swimming in the pond.
Ali Mouna Mohamed said her son tried to jump to rock, but slipped and fell into the water.
“My son said ‘I tried to help him’ but couldn’t because he… went deep,” Mohamed said. “My husband went there to help. He couldn’t go there because it was so deep.”
Whitecourt RCMP and fire and emergency services responded to the area Sunday. The park was closed to the public.
The search was paused on Sunday evening and resumed Monday morning.
Hibbs said the dive rescue team was not available until Tuesday because members were responding to other incidents.
Mohamed said she and her family were in Whitecourt on Sunday as an outing prior to back-to-school.
“I didn’t come here to lose my child. I came here to give my child hope, to enjoy with them because we’ve going back to school soon.”
Whitecourt is about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.