When Ashley Petite thinks back to the day her sister drowned, she says she can almost feel the water on her skin again.
It was July of 1997, and the Saskatchewan woman was on a boat in Canoe Lake, about 400 kilometres north of Saskatoon, with her 9-year-old sister, Amber, two cousins and her grandfather.
That’s when a surge of powerful waves struck their boat, throwing them into the water and causing the boat to sink.
With no life jacket, Petite -- then 14 years old -- swam over to her sister. But it was already too late.
“There was no sign of life. Her body was very stiff. And so I held her for as long as I could, and I closed her eyes and I kissed her, and then I let her go,” Petite told CTV Saskatoon, holding back tears.
In the moments that followed, she feared for the worst. Fortunately, just in time, a couple spotted her in the lake and came to her rescue.
“He dragged me into the boat. He had to carry me. I was just dead weight. I had nothing left.”
Her grandfather and two cousins also died in the accident. Petite was the lone survivor.
Twenty years later, Petite is finally getting the chance to meet with the couple who came to her rescue.
After years of searching on and off with no luck for the couple who saved her life, she posted a callout on Facebook with a newspaper clipping and asked if anyone knew her rescuers.
This time, her efforts worked. Within 24 hours, she was reconnected with the couple. They plan to reunite in person in North Battleford, Sask. on Sunday.
“It’s super overwhelming but it’s super amazing,” she said.
Petite has already been messaging with the couple over Facebook, which she says has been “surreal.”
She plans to use the reunion to thank the pair for saving her life.
“I’m super happy, I can’t wait,” she said.
With files from CTV Saskatoon
