Alberta fishing community mourns death of passionate angler

The fishing community in southern Alberta is mourning the loss of avid fisherman and vlogger, Rajesh John.

“He always was just amazed by every fish, it didn’t matter, big or small,” John’s friend Adam Turnbull said. “John was always searching for the most beautiful place and the next fish and it didn’t matter how big it was.”

RCMP said John was reported missing on Aug. 4 after he failed to return from a fishing trip near Lynx Creek, west of Pincher Creek.

Investigators said John’s vehicle was discovered at the Lynx Creek Campground on Aug. 5, and two days later John’s body was found at the base of a waterfall.

“John’s always fishing with a camera on his head and this time was no different,” Turnbull explained.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“He had snagged a backpack and as he reached to get it, he lost his footing and fell in. Some of those pools in the mountains, they can be extremely dangerous, whether you’re swimming, fishing, what have you.”

Turnbull said there was also evidence that John had suffered a cardiac arrest.

“Unfortunately, he just wasn’t able to make it out of the pool.”

John is survived by his wife and three-year-old son. Fundraising is taking place to send John’s body and his family to India where he is originally from.

“He is definitely a family man,” Turnbull said. “His son and his wife are obviously the center of his world and John was just a person of community.”

“He brought everybody together.”

4:51 Staying safe while enjoying the outdoors

An online auction which will go live on Saturday is also being organized by John’s friends.

“There’s household items, there’s guided fishing trips, there’s fishing gear and there’s art,” Turnbull explained. “Everyone is coming together to donate great items.”

Turnbull said while John’s death is tragic, his memory will live on in his fishing videos.

“He was just always filming and he’s got a YouTube channel that he’s always uploading to,” he said. “It’s a little bit of solace to know that his son is going to be able to watch all those videos of John and really get to see how how loved he was.”