According to his relative, an Indian national who perished last week along with his family after a boat capsized in the St. Lawrence River while trying to reach the United States was “mortally scared of water.”
The bodies of Pravinbhai Chaudhari, 49, his wife Dakshaben, 45, their son Meet, 20, daughter Vidhi, 23, and other family members were discovered in a swampy region in Akwesasne, Quebec. The botched March 29 crossing also claimed the lives of a couple of Romanian heritage and their two young Canadian-born children, ages one and two.
Jasubhai Chaudhari remarked about his relative, “He would never sit in a boat. “I do not comprehend. Where did he sit in that boat? He had a severe fear of the ocean.
In a phone interview, Chaudhari said that he and other members of his family and friends offered special prayers for his departed relatives on Thursday at his house in Gujarat. He expressed disappointment that he wouldn’t be able to visit Canada to carry out the family’s final rites and expressed hope that the Gujarati community in the area would do it instead.
On Thursday, the search for a missing Akwesasne man connected to the eight migrants in waterways was put on hold. In a news release, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police stated that they thought they had done all they could in the 130-kilometer radius of the town.
The boat that Casey Oakes, 30, was last seen driving the night of March 29 was discovered adjacent to the bodies of the two migrant families.
According to the police, the families were attempting to enter the United States illegally through the Kanien’kehá:ka territory, which crosses international and provincial borders and encompasses a portion of Quebec, Ontario, and New York state.
Chaudhari claimed his family in India, halfway around the world, are in disbelief. While the family was in Toronto two to three weeks ago, he added, he last spoke with his cousin.
According to Chaudhari, “He was quite pleased in Toronto.” He would bring us visuals from Toronto in the form of photos and videos.
He described his relatives as “well-traveled,” citing their recent trips to London and Thailand.
He failed to inform us that he was travelling to America.
Farmer Pravinbhai Chaudhari had 1.2 hectares of land, most of which he used for growing castor beans and cotton. His relative claimed that he also managed a transportation company, which he closed about six months ago.
But, Chaudhari said that his cousin didn’t know about their travel plans, if any.
He only mentioned visiting Canada to me, the man said. “We are unsure if that family boarded that boat to travel to the United States or merely for a trip. We have no idea at all. He never revealed his plans to visit America to us.
Vidhi Chaudhari, who he said had recently finished with a master’s degree in business administration and had high-paying job offers in India, was one of his nieces about whom he stated he was extremely heartbroken.
He claimed that she didn’t require travel to live a happy existence. “Vidhi dreamed a lot. She still had the rest of her life to live. She was really wise.
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He thought back to a journey his family had taken approximately five years prior to the Gujarati temple city of Dwarka.
“To think he got into that boat,” Chaudhari continued, his voice fading. “Praveen refused to get into a boat then, stating ‘I am terribly terrified of the water.
