Yahoo Finance Community search ends as 20-year-old man's body found at Wabamun Lake
A family is grieving the loss of their only child after the discovery of a 20-year-old man's body Wednesday morning at a lake west of Edmonton.
Around 9 p.m. Friday, Parkland RCMP received a call about a boater who had been swimming on Wabamun Lake, near Kapasiwin, Alta. He was in distress and went missing.
Faridun Abdul Majed said he knew something was wrong when his son, Dean's Majed, did not respond to his phone calls or text messages that night.
Then police came to his Edmonton home.
"As soon as I saw them I knew something was wrong, I asked if my son is alive. I don't remember what they said, I can't remember."
Abdul Majed rushed to the lake in the early hours of Saturday morning. A community of family and friends had been on the lake each day since, using a boat lent to them by the local marina to search.
Abdul Majed was on the water Wednesday morning when another boat gave him a sign.
"I knew right away there is something, I said just go there."
Abdul Majed expressed frustration at emergency responders for not dedicating more time to the search.
An RCMP spokesperson said police had conducted a thorough search and used every resource and tool available.
A news release Wednesday confirmed a body was recovered around 8:30 a.m. believed to be the missing 20-year-old from Edmonton. Partner agencies involved in the search included Parkland County Fire, the Central Alberta Recovery Dive Society and Alberta Parks Conservation Officers.
"Parkland County RCMP would also like to thank the public who helped search the area in their personal boats, and the Wabamun Marina for providing additional boats to aid in the search, as well as for providing support for the family," it read.
Loving son and longtime friend
Abdul Majed said Dean had just bought a house a month ago.
"He took us to his house, says 'Mom and dad, I want you to live with us, with me. I'm going to work another year or two and I'm going to retire you guys.
"Because you did everything for me, I have everything.'"
Valdrin Tafilaj was Dean's longtime friend. He was also at the lake Wednesday morning.
"I don't want to believe it," he said. "I knew the kid my whole life."
Tafilaj said Dean Majed was one of the smartest people he knew — a straight A student that was both "street smart and school smart."
The two had just been boating on the lake several weeks ago. He said his friend would've taken every precaution before going out.
"So it just doesn't make sense to me."
