In the late spring of 2009, a tragic incident on the Ottawa River led to the disappearance of Fanzheng Meng, a 27-year-old male. On May 23, Fanzheng, an international student, and his friend, 20-year-old Chen Yuan, embarked on a boating excursion from Britannia Beach in Ottawa's west end. The two were navigating the waters in a small, yellow inflatable dinghy.
Witnesses last saw them heading from the beach toward the Gatineau side of the river before their small craft vanished from sight near the treacherous Deschenes Rapids. The pair's outing turned into a desperate search when they failed to return.
The day after they were last seen, concern grew as their inflatable boat was discovered east of the Deschenes Rapids, along with a single lifejacket. This discovery prompted a search and rescue operation, though there was no sign of either Fanzheng or Chen Yuan. Friends of the missing students, deeply worried, attempted to launch their own search in a similar inflatable boat but were advised against it by firefighters due to the dangerous river conditions. By May 26, the official police search for the two men was called off. The grim reality of the situation began to set in for their loved ones and the local community.
A significant development in the case came on June 5, 2009, when the body of Chen Yuan was discovered by a passerby in the river near Cumberland, a considerable distance downstream from where they had initially entered the water. This heartbreaking discovery confirmed the tragic fate of one of the young men and intensified the concern for Fanzheng Meng. Despite continued efforts and the recovery of his friend, Fanzheng Meng was never located. The search for the two missing boaters had a devastating conclusion, with one confirmed deceased and the other vanishing into the waters of the Ottawa River, leaving a painful void for his family and friends. The case serves as a somber reminder of the river's power and the profound loss experienced by those left behind.Last Seen: May 23, 2009
