Flight instructor among victims of three separate drownings in Manitoba in one day
Family and coworkers are remembering a 24-year-old pilot and flight instructor who drowned Friday while out for a swim.
He was one of three people to die in three separate drownings that occurred in the province in one day.
The man’s brother in New York has identified Sandeep Bandaru of Steinbach, Man., as the victim of a drowning at Reynolds Pond northeast of Richer.
“I was always proud and when we got the news he drowned I was like there’s no way, there’s no way Sandeep could drown because he’s such an excellent swimmer,” Sanjay Bandaru said in a Zoom interview.
Sanjay said Sandeep moved to Canada to become a pilot.
He trained at Harv’s Air just south of Steinbach. Operations manager Adam Penner said Sandeep was working to become a commercial airline pilot but because of COVID-19 he stayed in Steinbach to work as a flight instructor.
“Sandeep was very well liked and very well respected as a flight instructor and so it’s been a tough thing to bear with our staff and our customers,” Penner said. “Sandeep was very motivated. He was a very hard-working person."
“He had clear goals. He was a very friendly individual.”
He said Sandeep was out swimming with coworkers on a hot evening after work when the drowning occurred.
A memorial has been created in memory of Sandeep Bandaru, a man who drowned at Reynolds Pond on June 4, 2021. (Source: GoFundMe)
According to RCMP, officers were called to Reynolds Pond around 7 p.m. Friday. Police said Sandeep attempted to swim to an island about 100 yards from shore but turned back, went under water and didn’t resurface.
Sandeep was one of three people who drowned in Manitoba on Friday alone.
“Having three in one day is not something we see very often in the province of Manitoba,” said Christopher Love, Water Smart and safety management coordinator with the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba.
At around 3:30 p.m. along the Whitemouth River RCMP said a 39-year-old man slipped on rocks and fell into the flowing water near the Elma rapids.
Police said a bystander in a canoe got the man to shore but he died on scene.
Then just after 7 p.m. on Lake Manitoba at the Portage Diversion outlet, the RCMP said a 17-year-old boy slipped off a sandbar into deeper water and got pulled east of the diversion where he went under water. Officers said friends got him to shore and a bystander began CPR but the boy died on scene.
While he can’t comment on the specifics of each drowning, Love said people should familiarize themselves with conditions on the lakes and rivers they’re spending time at and remember water temperatures now are colder than they are during the summer months.
“And that water temperature will sap strength from you,” Love said. “It’ll stop your muscles from working properly the longer you’re in the water.”
Sanjay said he’s now working to get his brother home to India so their parents can see him one last time.
“I would just tell people to watch out,” Sanjay said. “Even though we are great at something there are instances where we cannot control.”
He hopes what happened will serve as a reminder for people to be extra cautious in and around bodies of water.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.