As the search continues for two missing boys in the Whiteshell, a North Whiteshell business owner says the community’s response has been overwhelming.
Aaron Au Ramirez, 13, and Maximo Au Ramirez, 10, fell into fast-moving rapids near Sturgeon Falls and did not resurface on Saturday.
Allison Baker-Thiessen, co-owner of Nutimik Lodge with her husband Harry Thiessen, says residents, organizations, and visitors have come together to support the family during an unimaginable tragedy.
Baker-Thiessen launched a GoFundMe campaign to help ease the family’s financial burden, covering immediate expenses as well as the long-term support they will need in the months and years ahead.
While much of the community’s attention remains focused on the ongoing search efforts, Baker-Thiessen emphasized that the family’s need for support will continue long after the immediate crisis.
“Even though we’re helping them right now, we might not necessarily be with them afterwards,” she said. “They still need that love and support and care and to know that people are with them.”
She hopes the fundraiser will remind the family they are not alone.
“This is kind of our way of showing them that no matter how hard it is, you will always have people there to help you,” she said. “We’re going to help you even after they find those boys.”
She said she decided to start the fundraiser after learning more about the family’s circumstances.
The boys’ father has family in British Columbia, while their mother has family in Mexico and hopes to have loved ones close during this difficult time.
Beyond travel costs, the fundraiser is also intended to help provide counselling and other supports for the family, including the couple’s four-year-old son.
“They need to stay strong for that little boy,” she said. “This is something they’re going to have to live with for the rest of their lives.”
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Community comes together
Baker-Thiessen said the tragedy has affected not only the immediate family but also everyone who witnessed the incident, including the boys’ father, his friends, and several children who were present.
“To provide anything to help them get through this, not only now but later in life, is just something that I personally wanted to do for them,” she said.
Baker-Thiessen said the fundraiser is only one example of the support being offered across the North Whiteshell.
She highlighted the involvement of the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, the North Whiteshell Business Association, Manitoba Parks, Manitoba Conservation Officers, patrol officers, and countless community members who have stepped forward to help.
“Every single community member that you can think of out here is supporting them,” she said.
She described a community united in grief, with people stopping by the lodge to offer hugs, prayers, encouragement, financial donations, and meals.
One visitor who was staying at the lodge when the incident occurred left a financial donation for the family before returning home.
“She said, ‘I don’t want to see the family. I want to respect the family, but I want you to give this to them,'” Baker-Thiessen recalled.
Community members have also been donating food and quietly supporting the family while respecting their privacy.
The family has been staying at the lodge, and guests have been asked to keep noise levels low when passing through the area.
“It’s kind of quiet, which is eerie,” she said. “But it’s nice to know that everybody is respecting the family so much.”
Tragedy prompts water safety conversations
Baker-Thiessen said the tragedy has also prompted conversations about water safety and the importance of respecting Manitoba’s waterways.
People gathering at the lodge have been sharing their grief while encouraging others to exercise caution around the water.
“No matter where you are, water is dangerous,” she said. “You can enjoy it, and you can love it, but you also have to respect it.”
As the search continues, she expressed gratitude to everyone involved, from emergency responders, volunteers and local organizations, for the compassion they have shown.
“We can’t thank everybody enough for being there for this family,” she said.