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Woman drowns trying to save teen
Icy waters of Rideau River claim lives of Ontario woman and 15-year-old boy
Katie Lewis, CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, April 23, 2007
MERRICKVILLE, Ont. -- Roxanne LaLonde was on her way home Saturday evening when she saw her friend, Kellie Galipeau, standing in the middle of the road, waving her arms and screaming as her 15-year-old son was swept through the frigid waters of the Rideau River.
Without a second thought, LaLonde, an excellent swimmer, kicked off her sneakers and ran into the frigid water only to drown while trying to save the boy, Grant Galipeau, who also died.
Her boyfriend, Mike Barr, and friend, Mark Demik, who were with LaLonde, also ran into the icy water under the Andrewsville Bridge near Merrickville to try to save Grant.
"Roxanne was a strong swimmer," said Barr, who managed to grab onto a tree as he was barelling through the biting water. "The current was just going by like crazy. It was insane."
He said his girlfriend, a 32-year-old master seaman with the Canadian Navy, had experience with water rescue and was in excellent physical shape.
Somehow, LaLonde ended up on the opposite side of the river than the others as Grant was whisked out of sight, caught in the current.
Eventually, Barr was able to pull his limp girlfriend out of the icy water east of the Andrewsville Bridge.
"She was lying on her front," he said Sunday afternoon on the back deck at LaLonde's parents' house. "Her eyes were half open. She was foaming."
Firefighters and paramedics reached LaLonde at 6:45 p.m. and started CPR.
They told Barr to leave, so he decided to continue the search for Grant, who was still missing. Barr and another man who had seen the incident, jumped on an ATV, drove on a path downstream, then jumped into an aluminum rowboat and started looking for the teen.
"We paddled our guts out," he said.
Soon they caught sight of Grant, who had been swept about 500 metres downstream.
"The top of his head was sticking out of the water," said Barr who pulled the teen, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, out of the water.
The other man performed CPR as Barr ran frantically to try to find more help.
Soon after, the police came and transported the teen, who had no vital signs, to the Kemptville District Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
LaLonde was first taken to the Smiths Falls District Hospital, and later to the Ottawa Civic Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around midnight.
Her mother, Riemke Bles, said her daughter was a "very energetic leader" with a "take- charge" attitude.
"I'm not surprised at all that she went in there," said Bles, as she sat in a rocking chair on the back deck of the family home located just outside Merrickville.
"She would be the first one in."
"I don't know what she was thinking," said her stepfather, Jack Brown. "I just can't believe it."
LaLonde had told her parents many stories about her search- and-rescue naval training that included saving a dummy in navy exercises.
"They would throw him over board and see how long it would take to get to him," said Bles.
Barr said his girlfriend of over a year had "a hell of a smile and the bluest eyes you ever saw."
Barr said Grant was an only child who was a strong swimmer, having earned an award for lifesaving, the Bronze Medallion.
He lived in Montague Township, on the Rideau River near the Andrewsville Bridge and frequently played in the water. It is still unknown whether the teen was swimming or if he fell in the river.
"It's hard to say," said Barr. "Everything just happened so fast."
The parents of the teen asked for privacy as they mourned their loss.
Roxanne LaLonde, a 32-year-old
master seaman with the Canadian
Forces, lost her life trying to save
a 15-year-old boy who also died in
the swift current of the Rideau River
near Merrickville, Ont., Saturday.
Icy waters of Rideau River claim lives of Ontario woman and 15-year-old boy
Katie Lewis, CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, April 23, 2007
MERRICKVILLE, Ont. -- Roxanne LaLonde was on her way home Saturday evening when she saw her friend, Kellie Galipeau, standing in the middle of the road, waving her arms and screaming as her 15-year-old son was swept through the frigid waters of the Rideau River.
Without a second thought, LaLonde, an excellent swimmer, kicked off her sneakers and ran into the frigid water only to drown while trying to save the boy, Grant Galipeau, who also died.
Her boyfriend, Mike Barr, and friend, Mark Demik, who were with LaLonde, also ran into the icy water under the Andrewsville Bridge near Merrickville to try to save Grant.
"Roxanne was a strong swimmer," said Barr, who managed to grab onto a tree as he was barelling through the biting water. "The current was just going by like crazy. It was insane."
He said his girlfriend, a 32-year-old master seaman with the Canadian Navy, had experience with water rescue and was in excellent physical shape.
Somehow, LaLonde ended up on the opposite side of the river than the others as Grant was whisked out of sight, caught in the current.
Eventually, Barr was able to pull his limp girlfriend out of the icy water east of the Andrewsville Bridge.
"She was lying on her front," he said Sunday afternoon on the back deck at LaLonde's parents' house. "Her eyes were half open. She was foaming."
Firefighters and paramedics reached LaLonde at 6:45 p.m. and started CPR.
They told Barr to leave, so he decided to continue the search for Grant, who was still missing. Barr and another man who had seen the incident, jumped on an ATV, drove on a path downstream, then jumped into an aluminum rowboat and started looking for the teen.
"We paddled our guts out," he said.
Soon they caught sight of Grant, who had been swept about 500 metres downstream.
"The top of his head was sticking out of the water," said Barr who pulled the teen, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, out of the water.
The other man performed CPR as Barr ran frantically to try to find more help.
Soon after, the police came and transported the teen, who had no vital signs, to the Kemptville District Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
LaLonde was first taken to the Smiths Falls District Hospital, and later to the Ottawa Civic Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around midnight.
Her mother, Riemke Bles, said her daughter was a "very energetic leader" with a "take- charge" attitude.
"I'm not surprised at all that she went in there," said Bles, as she sat in a rocking chair on the back deck of the family home located just outside Merrickville.
"She would be the first one in."
"I don't know what she was thinking," said her stepfather, Jack Brown. "I just can't believe it."
LaLonde had told her parents many stories about her search- and-rescue naval training that included saving a dummy in navy exercises.
"They would throw him over board and see how long it would take to get to him," said Bles.
Barr said his girlfriend of over a year had "a hell of a smile and the bluest eyes you ever saw."
Barr said Grant was an only child who was a strong swimmer, having earned an award for lifesaving, the Bronze Medallion.
He lived in Montague Township, on the Rideau River near the Andrewsville Bridge and frequently played in the water. It is still unknown whether the teen was swimming or if he fell in the river.
"It's hard to say," said Barr. "Everything just happened so fast."
The parents of the teen asked for privacy as they mourned their loss.
Roxanne LaLonde, a 32-year-old
master seaman with the Canadian
Forces, lost her life trying to save
a 15-year-old boy who also died in
the swift current of the Rideau River
near Merrickville, Ont., Saturday.