‘Hold on to one another and live like Caelan would live’: Grieving father of drowned 20-year-old man reflects on his son’s life

Carlos Escalante, the father of Mahogany Lake drowning victim Caelan Escalante, speaks to CTV News about the tragic loss of his son

Caelan Escalante was a people person.

The 20-year-old, who drowned in Mahogany Lake last Wednesday with his childhood friend, 20-year-old Yagazie Ike-Peters, was a positive, happy kid as a child, said his father Carlos in a Saturday afternoon interview with CTV News.

But what really struck Carlos in the days after his son’s tragic death was how inspiring Caelan was.

“We can only try to hold on to one another and live like Caelan would live: follow your passion," said Carlos.

“(Caelan was) a really people, social-oriented person,” he added. “Private in private life -- but very social.”

The two 20-year-olds, both members of First Assembly Church, went swimming in Mahogany Lake on an unseasonably hot day in deep, cold water.

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, several witnesses reported seeing at least one man go under the water.

Danny Harlow was one of at least three people who jumped into the water to attempt to search before emergency officials arrived.

“There was a couple of us. We asked them where the where the fella went down, and they pointed to where they went down. So, so there was me and two or three other people who dove in and we dove in quite a few times around the area,” Harlow said. “We tried to find something and we couldn’t find anything.”

All three of the Calgary Fire Department’s Aquatic Rescue Teams responded, along with volunteer divers, police and paramedics.

Responders initially thought just one man had disappeared, but soon discovered that a second man had gone missing.

“Crews got into the water immediately and started diving down and doing surface dives to see if they could locate the person. The water was very cold and deep as well and they couldn’t find the person,” said Scott Cowan, the battalion chief with the CFD.

“Calgary police were assisting us and it was determined that there was a second individual that was missing from the beach as well. And they determined that they were in the same area. So crews continued to search for both victims,” he said.

Search teams used sonar and underwater camera devices. The beach club’s CCTV system was also used to figure out where the men had gone under the water.

Their bodies were both recovered before 10 p.m. Wednesday. They were found in an area near the dock where the water depth ranged between three and four metres.

Articulating grief

Carlos did his best on Saturday to try to articulate his grief and shock at Wednesday’s events.

“It’s been hard,” Carlos said. “You have your moments and in the busyness (of dealing with a tragedy), you don’t necessarily grieve but in the quiet moments, I try to do things to be calming. I’ve been talking and messaging a lot of people, so that’s helped me.

“It’s important when you go through that kind of stuff you’ve got to be talking to people, not stay isolated.”

Carlos was emotional throughout the interview Saturday as he recalled Caelan and tried to make sense of what seemed to make no sense at all.

“I talked to the medical examiner about it,” he said. “They were having a great time and decided to go swimming, like they do, and it was really hot out, and the water was cold.

“I’m lost for words because ... things happen,” he added. “You don’t expect something (unimaginable) to happen. You’re swimming, having a great time.

“Was it too hot? (Did they get) too tired? Did you go too far? Didn’t realize (it)?” he asked.

“I don’t know for sure and don’t want to guess and don’t want to sound too negative about going swimming because they were just young guys, having fun, and you know – sometimes stuff happens in your body, and you don’t know what’s going to happen."

Carlos said he wished he had been there.

The other thing he wished for was a lifeguard, with a boat.

“I hear there was a lot of people drowned in lakes this summer,” he said. “I wish there was something they could do at Mahogany Lake – a lifeguard station with a boat, you know?

“It’s such a big lake and people pay money to use the lake so why not spend money for some lifeguards there?”

Swimming lessons

Caelan knew how to swim. All three Escalante children -- Caelan, Britain and Julianna -- took swimming lessons, because Carlos almost drowned in a pool when he was 13 years old.

“I remember going under the third time, and being awake, and of course I still had oxygen in my brain and I tried walking along the bottom and I couldn’t and then someone swam above (me) and I put my hand up and grabbed their foot and I came up,” he said. “After that I took swimming lessons.”

He said he wished he sent Caelan more pictures and texts even if it annoyed his son.

“I now go forward and encourage people to stay in touch with their kid as much as possible,” he said. “Even if you’re busy or they don’t want to hear from you or something, or they just need their space.

“My wish -- and what I’m going to do -- is stay connected with my son Britain and daughter Julianna. I love them very much.”

With files from CTV’s Jordan Kanygin, Tyson Fedor and Mason DePatie