'Holy grail of all finds': Ottawa boy finds gun while magnet fishing in creek
'Holy grail of all finds': Ottawa boy finds gun while magnet fishing in creek
'Holy grail of all finds': Ottawa boy finds gun while magnet fishing in creek
A 12-year-old Ottawa boy is sharing his story after a magnet fishing trip turned up an unexpected find.
For Nathan Sirois, magnet fishing is a favourite pastime. Tie a strong magnet to the end of a rope and away you go, looking for a big catch.
Cans, washers and other small items are among some of his most common finds. But last week at the Green’s Creek Bridge, Nathan found something he never had before.
"As we pulled it up, it seemed like a riffle or a gun or something," he said.
"For any magnet fisher it's absolutely the holy grail of all finds," added Nathan’s mom, Melanie Baron.
The gun is their biggest find yet.
"I was so excited, my heart was beating so fast," said Nathan.
But like at times with a fish, this catch didn’t make it ashore.
"Maybe about right here, I tried to help my mom, but it fell back in the water, it's really unfortunate," Nathan said.
However, Nathan and his mom knew what to do and called police. The Ottawa Police dive team returned days later to search for the weapon.
"For me, this was a first, where a member of the public called it in, our dive team has searched for other weapons and pieces of evidence, but this is definitely a first where someone was magnet fishing and come across something," said Const. Caroline Gallant of the Ottawa Police Service Marine, Dive and Trails unit.
Const. Gallant was the one who recovered the gun after about 20 minutes in the water and said she’s thankful Nathan and his mom called it in.
"You can't see anything in there, I couldn't even see my hand. So we definitely don't want anyone going in there recovering the things they find," she said.
While Nathan and his mom may feel they lost their biggest catch yet, they assisted police in an important recovery.
"You want to teach your children and teach everybody if you do see something like that, take the time to report it,” said Baron.
Magnet Fishers and Police Dive Team Recover Gun in Green’s Creek
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Fallen R&B superstar R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his fame to subject young fans - some just children - to systematic sexual abuse.
Police in Saanich, B.C., say they continue to investigate the possibility that a "third suspect" was involved in a fatal shooting at a bank that left two suspects dead and six officers injured Tuesday.
A woman who was trapped inside a bank during a robbery and fatal shootout with police near Victoria on Tuesday says there is one question still plaguing her a day later: Why didn't the gunmen just leave with the money?
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
A mother of three children is speaking out after spending a night on the floor of Toronto Pearson Airport with her young kids in a nightmare weekend of travel.
A toddler accidentally left in a vehicle for hours died Tuesday and police said his father was found dead in an apparent suicide at their Virginia home, police said.
An RCMP officer who was among 22 people killed in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting was remembered Wednesday during a regimental service in Halifax for her "fierce" character and brave actions.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Canada's transport minister is speaking out about the 'unacceptable issues' that continue to result in significant delays. He says the federal government has done everything in its control to fix the issue.
Canadians flying out of the Montreal airport might be in for a bit of a shock this summer as the head of the Trudeau airport says airlines will "likely" be asked to cancel some flights — or even destinations altogether.
A social media campaign to help find a compatible stem cell donor for a four-year-old girl in Montreal is putting a spotlight on the lack of diversity in donor lists.
Ahead of the hustle and bustle of festival season in Montreal, Quebec health officials are asking people to stay vigilant amid rising COVID-19 numbers.
Canadian travellers are having to employ the 'hurry up and wait' practice at airports across the country lately according to new data. According to the Winnipeg Airport Authority (WAA), this impact isn't being felt to the same extent as other airports in the country.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
A serious collision in Kitchener Tuesday has prompted calls for traffic controls to be installed at the off-ramps of Highway 7/8 onto Ira Needles Boulevard.
An expert at the University of Calgary says a float in a small Alberta town's annual parade made a mockery of some of the symbols the Sikh religion hold sacred.
A severe thunderstorm only lasted about 10 minutes, but Nathan Canning says that was enough time to blow the entire roof off his Quonset barn and cause thousands of dollars' worth of damage to his Langdon property.
A man who insists he's still the leader of an Alberta separatist party says an effort to push him out, amid allegations of theft, is being led by "agents" who have infiltrated the board.
Damien Christopher Starrett was found guilty of killing his one-year-old son Ares Starrett and assaulting another child in a Fort Saskatchewan home on Nov. 23, 2019.
Regena Cameron remembers the shock of seeing cousin Jeanette in a B.C. hospital three years ago, after she was admitted in what a judge later called "an advanced state of neglect." Now, she is speaking out, hoping to prevent further suffering.
Authorities have announced charges against a B.C. RCMP officer who allegedly used his position to pursue "intimate relationships with women," both on and off duty.
The road to decriminalizing drugs in Regina is being paved. On Tuesday, the Board of Police Commissioners met to discuss the possibility of decriminalizing personal illicit drug possession in the city of Regina.
