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Ottawa Citizen

Widow of man who drowned at Westboro Beach praises those who saved her son

A day after losing her husband, the widow of the man who drowned near Westboro Beach praised those who saved her son's life. Article content In a post to a Westboro community Facebook group, Amanda Laflair said she and her family were not OK, but said she was 'grateful so very grateful my sone is alive.' Laflair also thanked the emergency responders and medical professionals in the post. Article content Article content Article content 'God bless you guardian angels for helping to save my baby,' Laflair wrote. Article content Article content Laflair confirmed to CBC News that the man who drowned Wednesday was 42-year old Rowell Navarro. The Ottawa Police Service could not confirm the name of the deceased to the Ottawa Citizen. Article content The Ottawa Citizen attempted to contact Laflair, but did not hear back in time for publication. Article content Laflair has set up a GoFundMe page, writing that she, 'Tragically lost my husband when he drowned trying to save our 8 year old son.' Article content Laflair said she is raising funds to help pay for the funeral and support the family, as she will be unable to work. Article content The incident occurred near Westboro Beach on July 2 at about 1:40 p.m. Article content 'When crews arrived on scene it was confirmed that an 8-year old child was safely rescued from the water,' Paul Hutt, chief for the Ottawa Fire Services, said in a statement. 'However, an adult male who entered the water had gone missing.' Article content Article content Hutt said that at approximately 2:25 p.m., the man was located through a grid search and using SONAR (sound navigation and ranging). Article content Article content 'While the incident occurred near Westboro Beach, it did not take place at the beach site, and City lifeguards stationed at the beach were not involved in the response,' the statement continued. Article content The father and son were swimming away from the public beach because they had the family dog with them at the time, Laflair wrote on her GoFundMe page. Article content Const. Fern John-Simon, spokesperson for the Ottawa Police Service, confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen that the incident occurred outside the sightline of lifeguards working at the beach. Article content Hutt also shared 'heartfelt condolences' to the deceased's family and loved ones. Article content 'Our thoughts are with those impacted by this incident,' Hutt said. Article content According to John-Simon, the adult man and his child were swimming before they were in distress. At the time, police said, a passerby walking by heard the father and child struggling, and they went into the water to rescue the child.