Memorial for Man Who Tried to Rescue His Friend
It is a terrible tragedy and a sad, heart rendering time for family and friends, as they face the loss of their loved ones. Justin Chan tried to save his girlfriend, Amy Wong, from the rush of the Cheakamus River, Whistler, and though he failed, he will be remembered as a true hero.
The 34 year old and his girlfriend had been fly-fishing in shallow water on August 6, when Amy Wong somehow toppled into the water while hooking a fish. The water was only as deep as the couple’s ankles, but when Wong fell, she somehow was pulled deeper by the fast moving waters. The water just kept on dragging her away from Chan as he tried to reach her.
The RCMP still have not been able to find her body, even though there has been an extensive search on land and air. They were able to recover Chan’s body shortly after he drowned.
A friend of Chan, Diliny Corlosquet, says that he was a man with a beautiful heart and a modern-day super hero.
Another friend, Aline Lilwall knows he will never be forgotten for the hero that he was. On a memorial page, Justin Liew let it be known that he was one of the best.
His funeral was held at Burnaby’s Forest Lawn Funeral Home and money was collected to buy a park bench, which will sit at Central Park Pitch and put in honour of Justin.
The couple had been on a fishing tour with a guide, and the guide tried to follow them down the river as far as he could and called 911.
Two kayakers from the rescue team and a helicopter got to the scene and they were only able to find Chan’s body. The RCMP hold no hope that his girlfriend is alive but the search will continue once again when the temperatures get cooler, allowing the river to drop and make it more possible to see if she became trapped somehow under the water and perhaps caught on some log or branches. There are no plans for her memorial as of yet.