Body of 17-year-old boy swept away in river near Cold Lake recovered

A 17-year-old boy who was swept away by the river near Cold Lake on June 5 was found dead in the water of Beaver River, RCMP said Thursday.

Search-and-rescue teams looked for Aaron Thir, who was fishing with his younger brother when he lost his footing and fell into the river.

Read more:
Search underway to find Cold Lake teen swept away in river

On June 9, just before 8 p.m., Cold Lake RCMP, with help from the Central Alberta Rescue Diving Society and Cold Lake Search and Rescue, found his body.

A group of volunteers had also been searching for Thir, and shared an update Wednesday on the Facebook page created for the search.

“Aaron has been found. He was returned by nature and recovered this evening with the help of local search and rescue teams and RCMP.

“It is not the conclusion we had all hoped for, but he is home again, and the processing of this profound grief can begin.

“Of course, we please ask that the family’s privacy be respected, and thank you all again for your contributions.

“From all of us, rest easy little brother.”