Death of Milton boy, 11, hitting family, friends and school classmates hard
The community has come together in support of a Milton family following the tragic loss of an 11-year-old boy who drowned in a storm water management pond after falling through the ice.
A Milton mother whose son survived the Dec. 19 incident at the Tremaine and Derry roads pond has started a GoFundMe page that has already raised thousands of dollars for the child's family.
Ayse Ucgec said on her GoFundMe page that on the afternoon of Dec. 19 her son and his close friend, who she identifies only as Ayuub, were playing in the area of Reece Court where they decided to venture out onto the ice of a storm water management pond, believing it was thick enough to play on.
When his friend fell through the ice, he jumped in to try to save him, but he couldn't get a hold of him," wrote Ucgec.
He swam out of the pond to look for help."
Halton police said this child ran to a neighbouring home at which point, Milton Fire, the Halton police Marine Unit and Halton Paramedics responded to the scene and immediately began a search of the pond.
After approximately 15 minutes the 11-year-old boy was found and pulled from the water.
He was transported to Milton District Hospital but died shortly after 4 p.m.
A very sweet 11-year-old boy who was loved by so many," wrote Ucgec.
He was such an amazing friend to my son and so many other children in our community. He will be missed deeply."
The boy was a student at nearby PL Robertson Public School.
Halton District School Board School Board spokesperson Marnie Denton said the families of students that attend the school received an email from Principal Sean McCathy on Sunday, Dec. 20 sharing the sad news.
This letter provided community resources for grief counselling to support classmates, students and families," she said.
The Tragic Events Response Team (TERT) will be available at the school in January to support both students and staff. Flags at both the school and the Halton District School Board office are lowered this week as a symbolic gesture of our condolence and respect."
A makeshift memorial has been created beside the pond where the young boy perished.
In addition to flowers, mourners have also placed a toy fire truck and a wrestling championship belt, which sit beside a small decorated Christmas tree.
A new star shines in Heaven. RIP Ayuub," reads an ornament on that tree.
Those who knew Ayuub are also sharing their memories of him.
He was such a good friend to me," said Ryah Qadan, 11, who said she was Ayuub's classmate and neighbour.
He would always make everyone laugh and he was such a kind-hearted soul. In class he was very enthusiastic, and he made tasks 100 times more enjoyable. His presentations were always something I looked forward to. He was an amazing friend. It was easy for him to make new friends because he had all the amazing features of a person. I am so sad for his loss."
The GoFundMe account Ucgec has created to support Ayuub's family can be found at https://ca.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-ayuub-an-angel-taken-too-soon.
As of mid-day, on Dec. 21 it had raised more than $36,000 towards the $50,000 goal.
Halton police are reminding the community that local bodies of water are very dangerous at this early stage of winter.
They said any ice formed is still not stable or dense enough to support weight.
Officers are asking parents to remind their children to stay clear of ponds and other bodies of water without an adult present and if unsure about ice surfaces then stay safe and just stay off.