Family and friends mourn 2 Ottawa teens who died in river

Candles lit up a section of Rideau River in Ottawa on Friday night where two teen boys died after falling through thin ice just days after Christmas.

Dozens of people gathered by the docks for a vigil on the chilly, wet evening by Nicolls Island in south Ottawa, one day after police recovered the bodies of Ahmed Ahmed and Riley Cotter from the river following an extensive search effort that began Wednesday night.

Darkness on Friday night covered the frigid waters where the tragedy happened. One of the victims' aunts previously told CBC her nephew had left his family's Nepean home to go skating with three friends.

The warm flickers from candles became some of the only sources of light in the area as friends, family, neighbours and peers mourned the deaths of the high school students.

Both Ahmed and Cotter were 17-year-old students at John McCrae Secondary School in Barrhaven, said their families.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board said in an email that the death of their students will be deeply felt by fellow peers and staff.

Ahmed and Cotter were with two other teens on Wednesday night when all four of them reportedly fell through the ice near Nicolls Island Road.

The other two, who were siblings, emerged from the waters alive and one ran for help to a nearby home, recalled a resident. That resident's family called 911 after seeing a soaking wet teen show up at her doorsteps, only wearing a T-shirt, socks and shorts.

"There's a real shadow over the island," said Janet Harrison, another neighbour who lives nearby, in an interview with CBC News Friday afternoon. She planned on attending the vigil.

"We're all very shaken by what happened.... Our hearts go out to the family and friends of these youngsters."

WATCH | Gathering on the river's edge to remember: 

Vigil held for 2 Ottawa teens who died after falling through the ice

11 months ago

Duration 2:18

Friends and family gathered to remember two teens who died after falling through the ice on the Rideau River in Ottawa Wednesday. Two other teens made it out alive — one of them rescued his sister but couldn't manage to save his friend before racing to a neighbouring home for help.

Family and friends shared hugs and tears as they huddled around the water Friday night. Sobs from devastated loved ones echoed amid the crowd, as soft music played in the background. 

Bouquets of flowers and candles lined the edge of the dock.

Family and friends shared that Cotter was a great kid, had a lot of friends and was athletic.

Ahmed, who was about to turn 18 and just shy of graduating, aspired to be a police officer, his family said.

Laith Alhasan went to school with Ahmed and came to the vigil because he "wanted to feel his presence."

"I was honestly devastated," Alhasan said. "Every time I'd see him ... [I'd] see a smile on his face."

Friends also described him as a "jokester" who was kind and caring.

An Islamic funeral prayer was also held for Ahmed at the SNMC Mosque in Nepean on Saturday afternoon.

Imam Zijad Delic said several young people were among those who came by to pay their respects.

"For me [this is] an opportunity also to spark in their thinking what humanity is all about, what we need to focus on, how much life goes by so fast," Delic said outside the mosque. 

The coroner's office is investigating both deaths.