Autopsies performed on the remains of Anika La Rose and Joylyn Jack, the two cousins who died tragically during a birthday outing at Enchanter Creek on the Linden Highway last Sunday, confirmed that they drowned.
Relatives of the girls informed News Room of the findings of the autopsies, which were performed by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Wednesday.
La Rose, 10, and Joylyn Jack, 11, were best friends. They did everything together. Reports revealed that the girls left their homes with family members to celebrate Anika’s 10th birthday at the creek.
While there, it is alleged that the two girls were playing in the water and were later discovered missing. An alarm was raised, and a search party was formed to locate the girls. Joylyn’s body was first recovered. Anika was found about half an hour later. They were both pronounced dead at the Diamond Diagnostic Center.
Following the tragedy, the operator of Enchanter Creek issued a heartfelt apology during an emergency meeting at the Arthur Chung Conference Center on Monday. The operator explained that typically, two staff members oversee the facility, but on the day of the drowning, only one staff member was present as the other had briefly left. He admitted that monitoring all areas can be challenging, especially with a large crowd.
In response to the tragedy, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn announced that all water-based recreational facilities must implement trained lifeguards, clear signage, and designated children’s areas within a week.