Niagara Regional Police say both Joshawa Raymond Douglas Brooks, 28, of Fort Erie, and his wife, 29, have died in the Niagara River after Brooks abruptly grabbed his young son and leaped into the river Friday. His wife also plunged into the turbulent waters in an effort to save her son. In the end, the lad is the only one to survive. The attack happened around 6:30 p.m. in the area of Jarvis Street and Niagara Boulevard in Fort Erie. An eyewitness account was carried by NewsTalk610 Radio.
Bob Steckley was in his driveway when he noticed the commotion going on by the water, so he ran to the shoreline with a few life jackets. Steckley entered the water and said the boy was terrified. “His eyes were huge as I came towards him. He was starting to go under, splashing around.” Once the child was brought to shore, Steckley and another good Samaritan performed CPR on the unresponsive mother until they were relieved by emergency responders The child’s mother was transported to hospital in critical condition, while the young boy was taken to a local hospital for further assessment. Steckley, a former Ward Three Councillor, is still waiting to hear whether or not the mother pulled through. He says he didn’t get much sleep last night.
