Candles light up Ottawa river in memory of 2 teens who fell through ice

Candles lit up a section of Rideau River in Ottawa on Friday night where two teen boys died after falling through thin ice just days after Christmas.

Dozens of people gathered by the docks for a vigil on the chilly, wet evening by Nicolls Island in south Ottawa one day after police recovered the bodies of Ahmed Ahmed and Riley Cotter from the river following an extensive search effort since Wednesday night.

Darkness covered the frigid waters at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, and the ice that was there earlier this week when four teens decided to go skating was broken up.

The warm flickers from candles became some of the only sources of light in the area as friends, family, neighbours and peers mourned the deaths of the high school students.

Both Ahmed and Cotter were 17-year-old students at John McCrae Secondary School in Barrhaven, said their families.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board said in an email that the death of their students will be deeply felt by fellow peers and staff.

Ahmed and Cotter were with two other teens on Wednesday night when all four of them reportedly fell through the ice near Nicolls Island Road.

The other two, who were siblings, emerged from the waters alive and one ran for help to a nearby home, recalled a resident. That resident called 911 after seeing a soaking wet teen show up at her doorsteps, only wearing a T-shirt, socks and shorts.

“There’s a real shadow over the island,” said Janet Harrison, another neighbour who lives nearby told CBC News Friday afternoon. She planned on attending the vigil.

“We’re all very shaken by what happened…. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of these youngsters.”

Vigil held for 2 Ottawa teens who died after falling through the ice

Friends and family gathered to remember two teens who died after falling through the ice on the Rideau River in Ottawa Wednesday. Two other teens made it out alive — one of them rescued his sister but couldn’t manage to save his friend before racing to a neighbouring home for help.

Family and friends shared hugs and tears as they huddled around the water Friday night.

Sobs from devastated loved ones echoed amid the crowd throughout the night as soft music played in the background.

Bouquets of flowers and candles lined the edge of the dock.

Family and friends shared that Cotter was a great kid, he had a lot of friends and that he was athletic.

Ahmed, who was about to turn 18 and just shy of graduating, aspired to be a police officer, his family said.

Laith Alhasan went to school with Ahmed and came to the vigil because he “wanted to feel his presence.”

“I was honestly devastated,” Alhasan said. “Every time I’d see him … [I’d] see a smile on his face.”

Friends also described him as a “jokester” who was kind and caring.

An Islamic funeral for Ahmed is scheduled to take place Saturday at the Ottawa Muslim Cemetery.

The coroner’s office is investigating both deaths.

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