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CameroonOnline.ORG | It was supposed to be a day of joy, celebration, and community bonding. Every year on July 1st (Canada Day), members of the Cameroonian diaspora in Ontario gather in large numbers to celebrate, catch up, and let the children play.
But this year’s gathering at the Binbrook Conservation Area in Hamilton, Ontario, turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.
What Happened?
On Wednesday afternoon, around 3:00 PM, 7-year-old Nathanael Selambi went missing.
Nathanael, described by those around him as a bright boy who was deeply fascinated by the water, was last seen near the floating inflatable playground structures offshore. He was wearing green swim goggles and a Thomas the Train tank top.
When his family realized he was gone, an immediate panic set in. The Cameroonian community present mobilized instantly, joining emergency responders in a desperate, frantic search across the park. Because the lake’s water was murky, police dive teams had a difficult time with visibility.
The search continued into the next day, while a large contingent of the Cameroonian community stayed on-site, praying and supporting the family through agonizing hours of waiting.
Tragically, on Thursday afternoon around 1:30 PM, the Peel Regional Police dive team recovered Nathanael’s body submerged in Lake Niapenco. Authorities have confirmed the death was a heartbreaking accident, and no foul play is suspected.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the Cameroonian community… they were here in large numbers. It’s obviously a very, very big loss.”
— Local news reports from the scene.
A Double Tragedy
To make a sad day even heavier, local authorities revealed that a sudden, violent thunderstorm swept through the conservation area during the search. The storm was so intense that rescue operations had to be briefly paused. During that same storm, a 61-year-old local kayaker also tragically capsized and lost his life in a completely separate incident on the same lake.
Mourning as One Family
In our culture, a child does not belong to just one couple—a child belongs to the entire village. Right now, the Cameroonian diaspora in Canada, and back home, is feeling this heavy weight. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath expressed her deep heartbreak, sending condolences to Nathanael’s family, loved ones, and classmates facing this unimaginable loss.
