Community members in Montreal’s Île Bizard—Sainte-Geneviève borough gathered on Monday to call on police to resume their search efforts in the Rivière-des-Prairies for a missing teenager. Hassoun Choui, 18, and his teenage friend were walking on the icy surface of the river last Thursday when they both fell in after the ice cracked. The other friend, a 17-year-old boy, was pulled from the water but Choui has been missing ever since. On Sunday, Montreal police said their water search had been suspended. “We gather here today just to give a push to the police service to continue their search,” said Choui’s father, Ahmet Choui, at a demonstration. Friends and family members joined together to honk their horns and hold signs that read “Reprenez les recherches pour Hassoun” (Resume the search for Hassoun) and “on te supporte Hassoun” (We’ve got your back Hassoun). On Monday, police said their search operations on the water have been suspended as a safety precaution for first responders, but that other search efforts are continuing, including drone surveillance along the river banks. They said “no stone will be left unturned” in the search for the missing teen," said Florence Stafford, a police spokesperson. “Police teams remain mobilized. Efforts are ongoing. Search operations are adapted according to the conditions and safety requirements.” Citing “dangerous and unpredictable” conditions on the water, police are asking the public not to conduct their own searches on the river. In the meantime, friends and family are struggling with the tragedy and looking for closure as each day passes. “We are, like everybody crying every day, crying. It’s really tragic,” Ahmet said. “I imagine the ice. Imagine the cold water. The life is very precious. And then when they are young, they think there is nothing [that] can [touch] them. That’s not true. The life is very short.” One of Choui’s best friends spoke about their friendship over the last five years and how they became close like “brothers at heart” and “an inseparable duo.” “Hassoun, I can’t believe you’re gone so soon,” the young man said. “Hassouin, losing you is like losing a part of myself. The void your absence leaves behind is indescribable. May God grant you his mercy and open the gates of Heaven for you.” A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help the teen’s family with financial burdens. The goal is set at $30,000.
