Canadian newcomer drowns while helping others on Lake Diefenbaker

When Canadian newcomer Raza Aziz heard cries for help, he didn’t think twice before diving into the water at Lake Diefenbaker.

During the August long weekend, three women became stranded in an inflatable boat after their paddle became tangled in the lake’s weeds. Aziz swam out to help them, but ended up getting caught up in the weeds himself. He drowned in the lake before he could reach them.

Raza Aziz. (Anna Hamayun/Submitted)

“The weeds are so strong that they are like a fishing net and they can pull a human,” said Aziz’s cousin, Anna Hamayun. “So he got stuck there.”

Aziz, who was 35 at the time of his death, immigrated to Canada from Pakistan just over two months ago, along with his wife and two children. He settled in Saskatoon in the hope of providing his family with a better life.

He was having a picnic on the lake’s shore when he initially heard the cries for help. Aziz dove into the water, and his friend Hanan Khan jumped in to help as well. Khan’s legs also got tangled in the weeds, and he was struggling as he was being pulled under.

Hamayun explained that Khan managed to get close enough to the boat that he could be dragged out of the lake, and the women on board administered CPR, which revived him. But at that point, she said Aziz was gone and no one could see him in the water.

“They called the rescue team. They came and went for him but couldn’t find him,” said Hamayun. “The next morning, around 7:15 a.m., they found the body and informed us.”

Aziz’s 11-year-old son witnessed the drowning from the shore. He was holding his father’s wallet and phone while he attempted the rescue.

A GoFundMe page was started to raise money for the family following the accident. As of Friday afternoon, the fundraiser had surpassed $80,000.

“He was full of dreams,” said Hamayun. “He was full of passion.”

She described Aziz as an avid lover of English films and a devoted family man. Hamayun said he will be missed by all his family members.

“We were such good friends,” said Hamayun as she described their time together as children.

“He used to tease me a lot and I would punch him in the stomach,” she said with a laugh as she spoke about their strong relationship.

She explained that he was more of a brother to her than a cousin.

The Saskatoon community gathered Tuesday at the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan to mourn the loss. Aziz is to be buried in Calgary, where more of his family resides.

The Lifesaving Society Saskatchewan is urging people to always wear a lifejacket and carry extra paddles in rafts to avoid dangerous situations on the water.