The death of a woman who was dragged into the ocean in Cape Spear, NL, at the beginning of this month is sending shock waves on the other side of the world, since a family distressed in the Indian state of Punjab tries to understand what happened with 22 – Sandeep Kaur of a year.
“I am very sad,” Gurmail Singh wrote, Sandeep’s father, to CBC News on the WhatsApp messaging application.
Sandeep, who was also known as Sandy, arrived in Canada in 2022 as an international student, funded by the sale of his family’s ancestral land.
He obtained a Diploma in Tourism from a university in Brampton, Ontario. and moved to Terranova and Labrador in September after receiving a permanent residence.
CBC News has been in contact with Sandeep’s father, Brother Kuldeep Singh and his uncle, Jagdish Singh. There is a language barrier, but the family is distressed by Sandeep’s disappearance and is desperate for the answers.
They have taken their case to Punjab government officials, and have also declared to the Canadian authorities to continue the search for Sandeep.
“Please, help us,” Gurmail Singh wrote on WhatsApp.
But the Royal Police of Newfoundland says that search efforts were exhausted, and that their investigation has determined that there was nothing suspicious about Sandeep’s disappearance.
Family members say that Sandeep eliminated their social media accounts three months ago, not long after arriving at St. John’s, which surprised the family because it was through social networks that followed their life in Canada.
Before his disappearance, he worked in an international shipping and reception company in the St. John area, but was struggling to stay financially, they said.
One of his co -workers, Kat Galazzo, knew Sandeep for a few months, but said it was difficult to meet her due to the barriers of the language.
“She was a sweet, really pleasant girl, a great worker. What happened,” Galazzo said, adding that Sandeep’s disappearance has shaken everyone in his workplace.
Trapped by a wave
Sandeep and a male partner visited the National Historic Site of Cape Spear near St. John’s on the afternoon of January 15.
Despite the numerous signals in the area that warned about the dangers, they walked to the coast, where the ocean crashed into the rocks and the temperature was below the freezing.
It is believed that Sandeep was caught by a wave and swept in the ocean. His partner tried a failed rescue and managed to return to the coast. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital for the treatment of minor injuries.
The search engines of several agencies, including Rovers Ground Search and Rescue, toured the ocean and the coast, but could not locate Sandeep.
Empathic and cheerful
CBC News has learned the identity of Sandeep’s male fellow, but attempts to get to him have not been successful. Sandeep’s family says that the man, who also moved to St. John’s of Brampton, has not responded to his messages.
Punjab is a state that borders Pakistan, in the heart of the SIJ community of India, and Sandeep is from the District of Bathinda in the northwest of India. Sandeep’s family is fighting financially. The plan was for Sandeep to find work in Canada and support his family with his profits.
The family described her as “empathetic and cheerful”, and that he loved to dress, explore the outdoors and try different foods.
“He often told his father that one day he would move to Canada and fulfill his dreams,” their brother and uncle wrote on WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, Galazzo said that the limited understanding of English language may have contributed to the tragedy, since it is possible that he has not understood the many warning signs in Cape Spear.
“They were new here. They didn’t know anything better,” Galazzo said.
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