The body of an 11-year-old Calgary boy who fell into the Yoho River in southeastern British Columbia has been recovered.
Parks Canada said a search team located the body in the Kicking Horse River, downstream of the Yoho River, late Tuesday morning.
The boy, identified by family and friends as Behzad Ahmad, was visiting Yoho National Park with his family who were on the river bank near Takkakaw Falls Friday night.
Watch below: Family spokesperson describes how 11-year-old boy was swept into Yoho River
Parks Canada spokesperson Lisa Paulson said the 11-year-old and his nine-year-old brother were jumping on rocks at the edge of the fast-moving river on Friday evening when both youngsters tumbled into the water. She says a 14-year-old relative was able to grab the younger child, but the older boy was swept away by the powerful current.
Paulson said frantic family members were able to track the child for a short distance, while quick-thinking bystanders formed a watch on bridges and embankments downstream in hopes of spotting him, but he was not seen again.
Paulson said the body was found via helicopter an estimated 13 kilometres away from where the boy entered the river.
“We were able to land near the boy. He was on the upstream side of a gravel bar that was in the middle of the river, and we were able to land beside him and confirm his identity from the photos we had – and awaited permission from the BC Coroners Office to remove the boy.”
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She said the family has travelled to Golden to identify the body and the coroners’ service is now handling the case.
With files from Global News