Family of Indian migrants who died in Quebec shocked by river crossing attempt | 24CA News
An Indian nationwide who died together with his household final week when a ship capsized within the St. Lawrence River throughout an try and enter the United States was “mortally afraid of water,” says his cousin.
Pravinbhai Chaudhari, 49, was present in a marshy space in Akwesasne, Que., together with his spouse Dakshaben, 45, their 23-year-old daughter, Vidhi and their 20-year-old son, Meet. A few Romanian descent and their two Canadian-born kids, aged one and two, additionally died through the failed March 29 crossing.
“He would never sit in a boat,” Jasubhai Chaudhari stated of his cousin. “I don’t understand. How did he sit in that boat?
“He was very afraid of the water.”
Chaudhari stated in a telephone interview that he and different household and pals held particular night prayers on Thursday at his residence in Gujarat for his deceased cousins. He stated he received’t have the ability to come to Canada to carry out final rites for the household and hopes the Gujarati group within the space will undertake the ritual.
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Search suspended for man linked to useless migrants, Akwesasne police say efforts exhausted
A search of waterways for a lacking Akwesasne man linked to the eight migrants was suspended Thursday. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police stated in a news launch they imagine they’ve exhausted their search efforts across the group 130 kilometres southwest of Montreal.
Casey Oakes, 30, was final seen on the evening of March 29 working a ship that was discovered subsequent to the our bodies of the 2 migrant households. Police have stated the households had been attempting to cross illegally into the United States by way of the Mohawk territory, which straddles provincial and worldwide boundaries and contains elements of Quebec, Ontario and New York state.
Halfway the world over in India, Chaudhari stated relations are in shock. He final spoke together with his cousin two to 3 weeks in the past when the household was in Toronto, he stated.
“He was very happy in Toronto,” Chaudhari stated. “He would send us photos and videos from Toronto that we’d see.”
He described his cousins as “well-travelled,” having visited London and Thailand just a few years in the past.
Pravinbhai Chaudhari was a farmer who owned about 1.2 hectares of land on which he largely grew cotton and castor bean. He additionally owned a transportation business that he shut down about six months in the past, his cousin stated.
But his cousin didn’t share their plans, if that they had any, of going to the United States, Chaudhari stated.
“All he told me was that he was going to visit Canada,” he stated.
“We don’t know if that family went in that boat to cross to the U.S. or just for a ride. We have absolutely no idea. He never told us that he was going to America.”
He stated he was particularly heartbroken about his niece, Vidhi Chaudhari, who he stated had just lately graduated with a grasp’s diploma in business administration and had high-paying job gives in India.
“She had no need of going to any other country for a good life,” he stated. “Vidhi had so many dreams. She had her whole life ahead of her. She was so smart.”
He recalled a household journey from about 5 years in the past to the temple metropolis of Dwarka on the western shores of Gujarat.
“Praveen refused to get into a boat then, saying ‘I am very scared of the water.’ To think he got into that boat,”’ Chaudhari stated, his voice trailing.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
