‘I wish we could have done more’, says cottager involved in Lake Winnipeg rescue

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This article was published 14/06/2020 (1656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In an evening that began with drinks on his patio with friends, Sadiq Husain’s relaxing weekend at the cottage quickly changed course when a fishing boat overturned in front of his cottage in Belair, on the east side of Lake Winnipeg Saturday evening.

The sun was already sinking in the sky, casting strange shadows. Husain said he and his guests saw in the distance what they believed to be a paddleboarder.

“It looked like a paddleboarder was out on the horizon, maybe a little further out there than they should be,” Husain told the Free Press. “In retrospect, it was probably the boat had flipped over and the guy was standing on the boat.”

It was still another minute or two before it became evident something was wrong, as it then looked like someone was swimming in the water, a fair way from shore.

“I said, ‘No, that can’t be right,’” Husain said.

Saturday evening a fishing boat with five men was going along the east shore of the lake when it began taking on water, RCMP said in a release Sunday. A 73-year-old man, Hamza Ali, died in the incident, while a search remains ongoing for his son, a well-known Winnipeg immigration advocate, Nour Ali, 42.

The three other occupants of the boat survived, thanks — at least in part — to the rescue efforts of local cottagers.

As soon as something registered as being off, Husain ran to the shoreline of his property on Lakeview Drive and dragged his kayak into Lake Winnipeg.

“I heard people — there’s a park beside us — and there were people screaming to them,” Husain said. “So, I sensed there was a problem.”

As Husain paddled out, he got to a man struggling in the water — he believes his name was Moe. He was not wearing a life jacket and he was bobbing up and down as he tried to tread water. Not having had time to grab a life jacket himself, Husain cautioned the man to grab hold of the end of his kayak and he’d tow him in to shore, hoping that the rescue effort wouldn’t turn into a disaster should the kayak capsize, as well.

“When I got to him, he was almost done, I think. He was able to hold onto the kayak, so that was good. But I’m going to say he had probably two or three minutes left,” Husain said.

At this point, the boat was no longer visible. Husain brought Moe into shore where his neighbours covered him in blankets and dried him off. Husain went back out to look for any other survivors and he came across a body floating face down in the water. As he contemplated how he could possibly tow in someone who was unresponsive, two other men on Sea-Doos appeared and they got the unresponsive man to shore. Husain isn’t certain, but he believes that was the 73-year-old man.

“It was pretty chaotic. A pretty chaotic day,” Husain said. Returning to shore, seeing women consoling one another, the gravity of the events sunk in. “Obviously, I wish we could have done more.”

Three men, ages 37, 48 and 65, survived. RCMP say.

The search continued Monday for the remaining man. What began as a rescue mission on Saturday with the support of the Coast Guard and a military helicopter became a mission to bring closure to the family of the missing man, Nour Ali, on Sunday as two RCMP vessels began a grid search of the water. Monday dive teams began the search below the water’s surface.

“I have no information still on the exact cause (of the accident),” RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Cabot said Sunday. “The weather was a factor for sure, there were some very high waves and high winds.”

Cabot said he couldn’t confirm who in the boat was or was not wearing a life jacket. He knew, at a minimum, one individual in the boat was wearing one as he’d been able to swim to shore as a result. Chabot called Lake Winnipeg an inland ocean of sorts because of its size and how quickly conditions can turn on the lake and become dangerous for boaters.

Husain says while he always makes sure other people he’s with are donning life jackets, he’s guilty of often forgetting to put one on. He said he hopes that this event might be a warning for other lake users not to be complacent about water safety.

sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik