‘It should have never happened’: Family grieving following sibling drowning deaths in Dryden, Ont.

The family of two siblings who died in a drowning accident earlier this summer are advocating for more access to swimming lessons. Alex Karpa reports.

Soon after moving from Hamilton to the northwestern Ontario town of Dryden, 15-year-old Kayden Grant and his 12-year-old sister, Joyclyn, were out with their cousins exploring their new home.

Heather Dodds, Kayden and Joyclyn’s stepmother, says they were hanging around a park near the Wabigoon River.

“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,’” said Dodds. “Unfortunately, kids are very curious and sometimes, they don’t always listen.”

Dodds says at some point, both kids went to the water, and Joyclyn slipped in.

“She had no swimming experience and could not stay afloat,” she said.

When Joyclyn was submerged in the water, Dodds says, Kayden, who also didn’t have a lot of swimming experience, jumped in to try and save her.

Dodds says the two of them succumbed to the water and died of drowning.

Stacey Grant was at home with her stepson when she got the call that Kayden and Joyclyn had drowned. She said it’s a memory she will never forget.

“The phone call, I replay it in my head every day. I don’t get it. It doesn’t make any sense. It should never have happened,” she said.

‘They were really close’

The community in Dryden has rallied around the family. An online fundraiser has collected more than $5,000 to help with costs associated with the loss.

Joyclyn is being described on the page 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,” the page read.

Kayden, who just turned 15 at the beginning of July, is described on the page as someone who loved learning about science, dinosaurs, sharks, fossils and video games.

“But most of all, he loved his little sister,” the page read.

Dodds and Grant said both Kayden and Joyclyn really complemented each other.

The family is now advocating for water safety and swimming lessons for all school-aged children. They are looking to launch a foundation called “Water Wings,” in both Kayden and Joyclyn’s memory.

The goal is to help families pay for – and support them in getting – basic survival swimming for their children at a young age.

“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,” Dobbs 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.”

Swimming should be taught in school: grandfather

Michael Williams is Kayden and Joyclyn’s grandfather. He is now working hard to bring swimming lessons back into the elementary school curriculum.

“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 said. “So, it should be a negative option. Schools have to do it unless they have a valid reason why they can’t do it.”

According to the Lifesaving Society of Canada, approximately 460 people fatally drown in Canada each year, with over 50 of those being children under the age of 14. More people suffer from non-fatal drowning incidents and injuries, resulting in long-term consequences.

According to data from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre, there have been 188 water-related fatalities in Canada between Jan. 1 and Aug. 12. There were 183 at this time in 2024.

Ontario has seen one of the biggest spikes, with 68 reported drowning fatalities, compared to 55 last year.

“I 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,” said Williams.

“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.”

Now Williams is trying to lobby the provincial government in Ontario to make swimming and basic lifesaving skills part of the curriculum. He has been in contact with provincial and local representatives in Ontario about this matter.

Williams is also calling on the Lifesaving Society of Canada to advertise the dangers of swimming, the same way Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) discusses the dangers of driving under the influence in schools.

“Working with the Lifesaving Society, I want to raise their profile and make it so that they are as well-known as MADD is. I think that would go a long way to helping to get to where we need to be,” he said.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we will be successful.”

Dodds just hopes their story will prevent future tragedies, so others won’t have to go through the same grief they are currently going through.

“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,” she said. “You don’t want to be in our position. You don’t want to ever feel what we feel.”