'Everybody's helping out': Search continues for teen who disappeared in northwest Alberta river
While Hutterite colonies across the West are 'praying for him,' parents plan funeral for Jerald Tschetter, 15
Conditions in the Smoky River in northwest Alberta can change quickly.
But what happened on Friday night even caught the Tschetter family, who have been swimming in the river for years, off guard.
Perched on a protruding rock, Anita Tschetter saw her younger cousins, Jerald and Lisa Tschetter, suddenly struggling against the undertow.
Jerald's brother, Ryan Tschetter, jumped in and rescued Lisa. Anita tried to rush to Jerald's aid.
"I was running in the water on the rocks and then all of a sudden I dropped down," Anita said. "There was just no ground there. It was really crazy. I tried swimming over there and the current underneath, it took my feet out.
"When I looked up again, all I saw was his hand and his head from his neck up, and him going under."
Jerald, 15, hasn't been seen since.
There were eight Tschetter cousins at the river on Friday night. Only seven returned home to their Hutterite colony, Shady Lane, about 90 kilometres north of Grande Prairie.
Anita said it gives the family comfort that Jerald wasn't alone during those horrific seconds, but they have nightmares that they couldn't save him.
Colony rallies to search
RCMP on Wednesday still had boats and divers scouring the water downstream from where Jerald disappeared.
At least 40 people from the colony and neighbouring communities have been at the river each day searching for him. The Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team from the Oak Bluff colony in Manitoba travelled across the Prairies to bolster the effort.
"Everybody, it seems like in times like this, everybody's helping out," said another of Jerald's cousins, Matilda Tschetter.
Colonies in the area have been assisting with day-to-day tasks, including meal preparation. Food is also being taken to the river, to share with those looking for Jerald.
Transition to adult
Jerald had just celebrated his 15th birthday on July 19. It's a major milestone in Hutterite communities that marks the transition from child to adult.
His family said he was ready to take on a bigger role on the farm. There are 97 people farming the colony's 16,000 acres.
Growing up, Jerald's main job was tending to the hog barn. Another cousin, Cayla Tschetter, said that he did that every morning before school, where he had been a mentor to those who were younger.
"He was always the first one to lend a hand to someone who needed it," she said in a Facebook message.
"When chores were done, he went to help in the field," she added, noting it was not uncommon to see Jerald at the ranch, either, or in the shop.
Cayla said her cousin loved sports. His favourite was hockey, but he loved spending summer evenings at Smoky River.
She last went there with Jerald and some other family members on July 5.
"Swimming at the river was all he wanted to do all summer," Cayle said.
'He's gone to heaven'
Jerald's parents are planning his funeral for Friday.
"They've accepted it, that he's gone to heaven," Matilda said. "It's a very sad time."
Finding their son's body remains important, Matilda said, because it would bring closure.
"All the colonies from here to Manitoba and to Washington, they've all been praying," she said. "We've all been praying for him that we find him."