Big Brother Jumps into River to Try and Save Sister Who Couldn't Swim. They Were Both Found Dead
NEED TO KNOW
Siblings Kayden and Joyclyn Grant drowned on July 31 in the Wabigoon River in Dryden, Ontario
Their stepmom said both children did not know how to swim
The children's family is now starting a campaign to get school-aged children prepared for swimming
A Canadian family is grieving after siblings drowned in a river last month.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), two children — later identified as Kayden Grant, 15, and his sister Joyclyn Grant, 12 — were seen going into the Wabigoon River in Dryden, Ontario, on July 31, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), CTV News and Northwest Ontario News reported.
Emergency workers later found the pair drowned and pulled them from the river.
In an interview with CTV News, Heather Dodds, the children's stepmother, said that Kayden and Joyclyn had both been warned to avoid the water as Jocelyn didn't know how to swim and her brother didn't have much experience.
'Unfortunately, kids are very curious and sometimes, they don't always listen,' Dodds told the outlet.
Dodds says that they recently moved to Dryden and were out exploring the area near their new home. At some point that day, Kayden and Joyclyn went near the water and Joyclyn fell in. Kayden then jumped in to try to save her.
Elva Reid, the children's grandmother, told the CBC that her 10-year-old niece, who was with Kayden and Joyclyn, tried extending a branch for them to grab onto, but the current proved too much.
"She did everything she [could]. More than a 10-year-old could ever be expected to do," Reid said.
Dryden Mayor Jack Harrison previously said that despite the quick reaction from first responders and bystanders, the children 'tragically could not be revived.'
'This tragedy reminds us all of the preciousness of life and the importance of looking out for one another,' Harrison continued. 'Let us come together in support, reflection, and kindness.'
Dodds paid tribute to siblings in a GoFundMe she organized to raise money for funeral costs and to help the family.
'Our Daughter Joyclyn was our only girl, our baby girl,' Dodds wrote in the fundraiser description. 'She was the type of girl that could walk into a room and light it up with her smile."
Joclyn was also "OBSESSED" with the lovable alien from Lilo & Stitch. "Her favorite saying was 'Ohana means family, and family never gets left behind,' " Dodds continued. "Our world seems a little darker without her bright light.'
Meanwhile, her brother had recently turned 15 and was remembered for his love of science and video games.
'Even though was more of an introvert but when he would create friendships, they were bonds that were unbreakable," she added. "But most of all, he loved his little sister.'
Following the tragedy, Kayden and Joyclyn's family is launching a foundation in their memory to provide financial assistance to other families for their children's basic swimming lessons.
'We didn't have enough time to give them [Kayden and Joyclyn] the necessary skills. Had they had those skills, maybe we would be looking at a different situation,' Dodds told CTV News.
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'We want to provide awareness that kids really do need to learn how to swim," she added. "You never know what is going to happen, and water is everywhere."
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