Body of teenager who went missing in Nova Scotia flood believed to have been found

The RCMP says a body found in Advocate Harbour, N.S., is believed to be that of a teenager who went missing during torrential flooding in Nova Scotia almost two weeks ago.

Police say they recovered the body along the shore of Advocate Harbour around 10:35 a.m. Tuesday after it was found in the water by someone who was out walking their dog.

“We’re working with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to positively identify the remains,” Superintendent Sean Auld, the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Support Services Officer, said during a news conference in Windsor, N.S., Wednesday morning. “But at this time, we believe they are those of the youth who was reported missing on July 22 as a result of extreme flooding in West Hants.”

Advocate Harbour is about 75 kilometres northwest of the area where the teenager went missing.

“But if you’re following all of the different rivers and tributaries, we’re closing in on 100 kilometers away, so that’s quite a significant distance,” said West Hants RCMP Sgt. Rob Frizzell. “The sheer volume of water and the sheer force of water coming through, it’s never happened before around here, but just pushed objects so far, whether that be vehicles or trees, or deceased persons -- quite a distance. And over that course of time, that's where she ended up. ”

Four people went missing in West Hants after two vehicles were swept away by rapidly rising water during the storm that dumped up to 250 millimetres of rain in some areas.

The bodies of 52-year-old Nicholas Anthony Holland, six-year-old Natalie Hazel Harnish and six-year-old Colton Sisco were discovered on July 24 and 25.

Holland and one of the children were found in the primary search site, a flooded hayfield in Brooklyn, and the other child’s remains were found by civilians at a nearby coastal area.

Police have said the missing teenager was travelling with Holland when the vehicle they were in was pushed off the road into a nearby flooded field.

CTV News confirmed Wednesday that the missing youth is 14-year-old Terri-Lynn Keddy.

"A very valued member of our community... the smile, the energy, the life. She's going to be missed," West Hants Regional Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian told CTV.

The extensive search for the teenager was temporarily suspended Monday to allow remaining water to drain from the search site.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois spoke during the Wednesday morning news conference and thanked first responders who searched for the victims.

“It has been nothing short of amazing to see how the variety of different personnel, both paid and volunteer, have worked together in concert to help locate those who have gone missing and those who (are) deceased.”

He said the news of the last missing person being found brings a sort of closure to people in the West Hants area.

“Words don’t describe how much this is impacting the community, but there’s strength in our community and togetherness, and I’m certainly proud to be able to represent these areas.”

Blois also said there are lessons that can be learned from the floods, including improving cell reception in rural communities.

“In the command centre where we were in Brooklyn, I got a call from the minister of emergency preparedness when I was with Minister Freeland … couldn’t take the call. That’s unacceptable. That’s seven minutes off a 100-series highway,” he said.

“When we start to see the impact of weather-related events, whether it’s fires, whether its hurricanes, whether it’s flash floods – we need to do better.”

EMERGENCY ALERTS

In terms of emergency alerts, Blois said the province has come a long way since the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, but there’s more work that could still be done.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston spoke later in the news conference and said the province will work with the recommendations given by the Mass Causality Commission on the best way to do the alerts.

“The emergency alerts are incredibly important and incredibly valuable, so we have to get that right, but I think there’s guidance in the Mass Causality Commission on that,” he said.

He added that he’s “not happy” with the process to improve cell reception in the province.

“I think there are solutions, we just need to do them, and I’ll be asking that those be done,” he said.

“ANGELS UP ABOVE”

Houston also passed along his condolences to the victims’ families.

“These floods have caused a tremendous amount of heartache and pain for our province, for sure. So to the family today, I want you to know how very sorry I am, personally, but how sorry the province is for what happened and certainly that extends to the other three families.”

Melissa Sheehy-Richard, Hants West MLA, echoed the premier’s comments.

“We will continue to be there to support all the families and community members in the coming months and we will rebuild our community because in Nova Scotia we are stronger together and in Hants County we proved that… so to everyone who spent the hours searching, there is some peace in the closure that we have found today," she said.

Mayor Zebian added the victims are “angels up above now.”

“As you see their pictures online and memorials, remember their faces. Each and every single one of them was an independent individual who was part of our knit, was part of our fabric, and will always be part of us. In our hearts, in our minds, and every place we look, they’re part of our family.” 

With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Plowman and Lyndsay Armstrong

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