Four men involved in fatal Canmore boat capsize have been identified

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A boat capsized near Canmore on Sunday, killing three of the four people on board

(LR) Geo Paily, 32, Kevin Sha Varghese, 21, and Liyo Mavalil Yohannan, 41, died after a boat capsized in Spray Lakes Reservoir near Canmore. The boat capsized on July 10, 2022 Malayalee Cultural Association Calgary Facebook

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A Calgary church is mourning the deaths of three parishioners after a boat capsized near Canmore on Sunday, killing three of the four people on board.

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The men were in the boat on Spray Lakes Reservoir, about 25 kilometers south of Canmore, when it capsized around 10 a.m. Sunday, according to RCMP. Geo Paily, 32, Kevin Sha Varghese, 21, and Liyo Mavalil Yohannan, 41, died in the incident while a fourth man, Jijo Joseph, managed to swim to shore safely.

RCMP confirmed Wednesday morning that a third body — that of Johanan — was pulled from the water late Tuesday afternoon, after the bodies of Paili and Varghese were located Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The identities of the victims were confirmed by several cultural groups in Canada, including the Calgary Malay Cultural Association, a community group for people from the Indian state of Kerala and the Malabar Catholic Church, St. Mother Teresa Siro.

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The four men were close friends who worked together at a local auto shop and were fishing at the time of the incident, according to St. Mother Teresa priest Father Thomas Callariparambil. He said the group often went fishing on Paley’s boat in the Canmore area and that the four men were active members of the church and the Malay community in Calgary.

“We were saddened to hear this news,” Kalariparambil said. “We were all shocked to hear about this incident; this is a very unexpected thing.

The priest said Varghese’s family immigrated to Canada several years ago and he mostly grew up in Canada with his brother and sister. Varghese attended university in Toronto but came home to Calgary to visit family in the summer.

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Paley came to Canada about three years ago, Kalariparambil said. He leaves behind a wife and a young child.

The cultural association and the church organized a GoFundMe campaign to support Johanan’s family. He leaves behind his wife, young daughter and son, as well as his parents and sisters. The fundraiser describes Johanan as the sole breadwinner of a family of 10.

“Leo was the kindest, most helpful, thoughtful and caring person we know,” the fundraising webpage reads. “He spent most of his time with his family and friends, encouraging them to lead an active lifestyle. His smile and voice echoed everywhere he walked.”

Yohannan moved to Canada from Qatar in 2020, initially settling in Quebec before moving to Red Deer, where he worked as a health care assistant. He then moved to Calgary, where he has been living for the past two months.

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“The funds raised here are solely to alleviate the financial costs of his funeral, the expatriation of his family from Canada to India, the medical expenses of his aging parents, the education of his children and the support of his wife,” the webpage reads.

Joseph is recovering at home from the trauma of the fatal accident, Kalariparambil said.

“We can’t say he’s fine now, but he’s getting better,” he said.

Kalariparambil said the church is working to send the bodies of Johanan and Paley back to their families in India once their autopsies are complete. A funeral is scheduled for Varghese on Saturday.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

Twitter: @michaelrdrguez

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