New details on ‘difficult’ recovery operation
Rescuers released more details about the search for an 11-yearold Calgary boy whose body was found Tuesday morning after he was swept away in the Yoho River days earlier.
Behzad Ahmad was visiting B.C.’s Yoho National Park with his family on Friday evening. While sitting on rocks on the shore near the Takkakaw Falls day-use area, he slipped into the water.
Behzad’s younger brother tried to grab him, but he, too, fell in and was overpowered by the current.
Their cousin was able to pull the younger brother out of the water and tried to reach for Behzad, grasping his hand before a rock in the water broke the two boys apart.
Other relatives and members of the public tried to help, but Behzad disappeared from view.
Lisa Paulson, Parks Canada visitor safety specialist and the incident commander for the search and recovery operation, said parks staff members were notified around 7:40 p.m. and immediately initiated an extensive search for the boy.
Initially, there were about 35 first responders — including fire crews, parks workers, wardens, campground staff, RCMP, dog teams, and search and rescue volunteers — scouring the area both aerially and by ground.
A B.C. ambulance was lined up, as well as STARS air ambulance.
“It’s a very cold body of water, fed by glacial water, and very swiftmoving water,” Paulson said.
A team searched the area for days, eventually locating Behzad’s body at around 10 a.m. Tuesday.
His body was found on a gravel bar about 100 metres up from the Trans-Canada bridge that crosses the Kicking Horse River, and about 13 kilometres from where he fell into the water, Paulson said.
Paulson said the body had suffered trauma but she could not speak to the cause of death, adding the case has been turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service.
She said the area where the boy slipped into the water is managed with a well-defined trail and bridge that keeps visitors away from the water’s edge.
“I think visitors or anybody should recognize moving water is very powerful and, at any point, being on the shoreline poses a risk of falling in and being caught up in the flow of that river,” she said.
Paulson said some kayakers have gotten caught in the fast-moving water but, to her knowledge, there hasn’t been another death in the area involving a park visitor.
She said staff is still reeling from a busy weekend that also included a search for a missing mountain climber on Mount Carnarvon.
The recovery operation was particularly hard on workers because it involved a child.
“Many of us are parents, and it’s difficult when we think of the family,” Paulson said.
“In some respects, we are relieved we found the boy. There is some relief that we could provide the family with the body of their son and, hopefully, that helps them move forward with this tragedy.”
According to family spokesman Sultan Mahmood, the boy’s family is grief-stricken but relieved his body was recovered.
They are now preparing for a funeral, slated to take place at a local mosque after Friday prayers this week.