An emotional memorial service was held Tuesday for the 12-year-old boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on a family vacation last weekend.
Hundreds of family and friends came together at the Winnipeg Grand Mosque on Waverley Street to say goodbye to Usaid Habib, who died Saturday morning in the Whiteshell Provincial Park when he slipped on rocks and was pulled under the rapids.
Usaid was described by those who knew him as a caring boy, close to his family and well-known in the community.
“When he grew up, he was amazing,” Usaid’s father, Danish Habib, told Global News.
“He was very helpful for everyone, very confident, involved in the community — at this age, he was so much involved in the community that most people knew him (even if) they didn’t know us.”
Neighbour Absar Ahmed said Usaid was like a son to him.
“He used to come to my house. … He’d go to every house. He was very popular,” Ahmed said. “He was really intelligent, and he was one of the most obedient children.”
In a social media post, the Manitoba Islamic Society praised the efforts of the RCMP in bringing closure to the family and community. Usaid’s body was recovered by divers around 1 a.m. Monday.
“The community is thankful to RCMP dive unit and the Heart Team for their courage and tenacity in continuing the search. There are no words to describe our sincere thanks to these teams in finding Usaid, as this gives us the opportunity to say goodbye.”