Tragedy struck for an Arizona tourist whose body was discovered nearly a month after a fatal leap into a waterfall at a Canadian national park.
Twenty-five-year-old Pavlo Shemchuk was exploring Banff National Park with his cousin and best friend when he decided to jump from the cliffs at Johnston Canyon on May 1. Unfortunately, he never resurfaced from the waters of the Lower Falls.
The incident prompted an extensive search over several days. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) closed off the area and launched a search operation from May 1 to May 4, but after failing to locate him, Shemchuk was presumed dead. The search was suspended due to the perilous water conditions.
Despite pleas from Shemchuk’s family to continue the search, authorities maintained that the conditions were too hazardous. Determined to find their loved one, the family employed the services of Juan Heredia, a private diver from California, to assist in the recovery effort.
Shemchuk’s family called for the search to resume, but officials continued to deem conditions too dangerous.
The family hired a private diver from California named Juan Heredia to look for the young man’s body.
Parks Canada, which operates Banff National Park, closed Johnston Canyon on May 20 until the morning of May 21 to allow the second, private search to take place, but Heredia was still unable to locate Shemchuk.
On Tuesday, a body was found washed up downstream of the waterfalls’ lower pool and reported to the RCMP and Parks Canada around midday, according to a press release Parks Canada shared with the Daily Mail.
Pavlo Shemchuk, 25, drowned after jumping from a waterfall in Canada’s Banff National Park on May 1
Authorities searched for Shemchuk from May 1 through May 4 before he was presumed dead. His body was found downstream from the waterfall on Tuesday
Shemchuk jumped into the water beneath Lower Falls in Johnston Canyon (pictured) but did not reemerge. It took nearly a month for his body to be found
The area was once again closed to the public as police responded and identified Shemchuk’s remains. His body has been transferred to the RCMP.
‘Parks Canada extends its sincere condolences to the individual’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,’ the press release said.
Shemchuk’s aunt, Olha Dishchuk, told the Rocky Mountain Outlook that her nephew was originally from Ukraine and had lived in the US for the past eight years.
Despite his limited knowledge of English, he graduated high school with good grades in Philadelphia before pursuing higher education in Arizona, the aunt said. He was studying to become a doctor of physical therapy, she added.
The young man’s girlfriend, Nicolette Babbe, told the outlet that Shemchuk had already jumped from the cliffs once and been fine before he climbed to a higher spot and jumped again. It was after the second plunge that he did not reemerge.
On a GoFundMe page organized by Shemchuk’s family to pay for body recovery expenses, funeral costs and other unexpected financial obligations, the family said: ‘We are heartbroken to share the tragic loss of our dear Pasha.’
‘Pasha was deeply loved by everyone who knew him. He was kind, genuine, and brought light and laughter to the people around him,’ the family added.
Shemchuk’s family described him as ‘kind’ and ‘genuine’ and said that he ‘brought light and laughter to the people around him’
The trail to Lower Falls in Banff National Park is pictured. Shemchuk was visiting with a cousin and his best friend
The GoFundMe has raised around $27,000 of its $35,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon.
RCMP said it ‘sends condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,’ in a press release shared with the Daily Mail.
