Winnipeg family grateful after body pulled from Red River

The family of a woman whose body was found in the Red River this weekend is grateful to the Drag the Red search efforts.

• Foul play not suspected after woman's body found in Red River

"They help people keep going and keeping their spirits alive," said David Thompson. "Well, my spirit alive, because it was dead when my mom was missing and it was heartbreaking. I couldn't tell you how much it hurt."

The body of Thompson's 54-year-old mother Sandra Murray from Pine Creek First Nation was recovered near the Redwood Bridge Saturday.

Thompson said his mother was suffering from depression when she walked into the river on Sept. 10.

He joined the Drag the Red search team, who were already combing the bottom of the river for other bodies, hoping to find her.

“There was so [many] volunteers and people gave up all their time searching the river,” said Thompson. “They did boat searches, they did hook searches, they did a really good job.”

Thompson said a passerby spotted his mom and called police.

He said he hopes the dragging continues so other bodies can be found and other families can have closure. 

Thompson plans to continue volunteering with the group.

The discovery wasn’t directly connected to the Drag the Red team’s efforts.