Iryna Novikova says her son loves the water.
The mother spent most of Monday anxiously waiting on the banks of the Ottawa River, as police continue their search for Misha Novikov .
Ottawa police say they received a call at about 5 p.m., Sunday evening. Two men launched separate boats near Britannia Beach and had gotten swept into the Deschenes Rapids where they capsized.
“The person that was rescued by our rescue boats was wearing a vest. To our knowledge, the person who hasn’t been found yet was not wearing a vest,” says Const. Chuck Benoit of the Ottawa Police Service.
Novikova says her 24-year-old son owns a life-jacket, but is unsure why he wasn’t wearing one at the time. She says Misha had recently bought the green and yellow “Seahawk” inflatable boat and was excited to use it.
“He seem like always ‘nothing is ever going to happen to me because I’m strong,’” says Novikova of her son.
Misha Novikov moved to Canada with his family from the Ukraine about 15 years ago. He graduated from Bell High School. His mother says he is an active member in the community, enjoying his work at the Hellenic Centre.
Sailing instructors at the Britannia Yacht club say people often drift towards the Deschenes rapids. They say they have to rescue people about five times a year.
“It’s scary. They need our help and it’s a pretty bad situation,” says Francis Guiton.
He says there needs to be better signage on Britannia Beach and along the river warning boaters of rapidly changing conditions.
“Over here the water is calm and it looks alright and once you get in there… it’s too late to go back,” says Guiton.
Novikova says while the chances of finding her son alive is slim, she can’t give up.
“We still hope…because he is strong. That’s what I believe,” she says.
With a report from CTV’s John Hua.
