Latest news with #Joyclyn
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Big Brother Jumps into River to Try and Save Sister Who Couldn't Swim. They Were Both Found Dead
"Had they had those [swimming] skills, maybe we would be looking at a different situation,' said Kayden and Joyclyn Grant's stepmom 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. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. '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." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Big Brother Jumps into River to Try and Save Sister Who Couldn't Swim. They Were Both Found Dead
"Had they had those [swimming] skills, maybe we would be looking at a different situation,' said Kayden and Joyclyn Grant's stepmom 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. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. '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." Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Distraught mother hit by double tragedy after son, 15, and daughter, 12, who couldn't swim went to explore local lake
A mother has been left heartbroken after her son tried to save her daughter from a lake and they both tragically drowned. Heather Dodds said her stepson Kayden, 15, and stepdaughter Joyclyn, 12, lost their lives in a park near the Wabigoon River in Ontario last week when they went exploring the area they had recently moved to. She said the siblings joined their cousins to take a look at their new neighborhood, but ignored her warnings not to go near the water because they hadn't learned to swim. 'They had been told many times: "You guys do not know how to swim yet. You are looking at swimming lessons this year. You're not to be near the water, unless an adult is with you,"' Dodds told CTV News. 'Unfortunately, kids are very curious and sometimes, they don't always listen.' The stricken stepmother said when the kids went to the water's edge, Joyclyn slipped in, and quickly started struggling because she 'had no swimming experience and could not stay afloat.' She said that her son, who was also not a strong swimmer, went in after his sister to try to save her. The children's mother Stacey Grant said she was at home when she heard that Kayden and Joyclyn drowned while on their walk, and said she 'replays the phone call in my head every day.' Grant recalled her horror at the phone call as she said: 'I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense. It should never have happened.' In a GoFundMe set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses, Dodds wrote that the siblings were fun-loving and bright children. She wrote that Kayden was obsessed with science and 'loved video games', and the brother went after his sister in the water because 'most of all, he loved his little sister.' Joyclyn was described as 'the type of girl that could walk into a room and light it up with her smile.' 'She was always silly, loved to joke and laugh, and was OBSESSED with Stitch. Her favorite saying was "Ohana means family, and family never gets left behind." Our world seems a little darker without her bright light,' she wrote. The family say they are now launching a water safety foundation called Water Wings in the siblings' memory to support children learning how to swim. '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 said. 'We want to provide awareness that kids really do need to learn how to swim. You never know what is going to happen, and water is everywhere. 'If your kids are young and don't know how to swim, reach out. Reach out to Water Wings. Reach out to your local swimming clubs. Kids need to know how to swim. 'You don't want to be in our position. You don't want to ever feel what we feel.' Kayden and Joyclyn's grandfather Michael Williams said he is also campaigning for schools to bring swimming lessons back into elementary school curriculums. 'The problem is, it's only being offered as an opt-in basis, whereas I think it should be the other way around, as an opt-out,' he told CTV News. 'So, it should be a negative option. Schools have to do it unless they have a valid reason why they can't do it.' He admitted that he 'didn't know my grandchildren didn't know how to swim. I found out the hard way. I don't want anyone else to find out the hard way.' 'If you're a grandparent and you don't know if your grandchildren know how to swim or not, ask the question I didn't ask.'
