SEEBE – The body of a teenager who went missing in the water while swimming east of the Seebe Dam on Aug. 8 has been recovered.
After a nine-day search effort, carried out by multiple search and rescue agencies, 16-year-old Blessing Paul, from Calgary, was located underwater on Monday (Aug. 17).
Cochrane RCMP, with the assistance of the Central Alberta Rescue Diving Society, found the body.
Police said the Calgary teen attempted to swim across the river between the Seebe Dam and Horseshoe Dam on the afternoon of Aug. 8, but got stuck in the currents and went under and didn’t resurface. He was with a group of friends when the incident occurred. Two people jumped in to try to find him, but were unsuccessful.
Approximately 40 volunteers of the victim’s family and emergency personnel, two helicopters, a dive team, and boat patrols were deployed along the banks of the Bow River to search for the missing teen.
“The particular area where this happened is an area where we’ve had three people drown since I’ve been a member in Cochrane [since 2008],” said Cochrane RCMP’s Cpl. Troy Savinkoff.
Savinkoff said that prior to this incident, discussions had been taking place with multiple organizations about enforcing the no-trespassing, private property area, which might include towing vehicles and $250 fines.
Cochrane RCMP continues to investigate the event.
- With files from Jordan Small
