The rain had barely started to fall over Dryden, Ontario when Thomas and Sarah Nightingale, ages 9 and 7, ventured too close to the swollen creek behind their grandparents’ property. What began as an ordinary August afternoon ended in a tragedy that has left this tight-knit northwestern Ontario community reeling.
“They were just playing, like children do,” says grandmother Eleanor Nightingale, her voice breaking as she speaks to me from her porch overlooking the now-calm waters of Wabigoon Creek. “One minute they were collecting rocks, and the next…” She can’t finish the sentence.
The siblings were visiting from Thunder Bay when unseasonable rainfall caused the normally placid creek to rise rapidly. According to the Dryden Police Service, the children were swept away when a section of embankment collapsed. Despite immediate search efforts by family members and neighbors, their bodies were recovered nearly a kilometer downstream.
“These weren’t just any kids,” says Police Chief Margaret Kowalski. “In a community our size, they were everybody’s children in a way. Many of our officers have children who played with Thomas and Sarah during their summer visits.”
The tragedy has prompted Mayor Carol Lindstrom to call for an emergency review of waterway safety protocols across the municipality. “While we can never fully prevent accidents, we must learn from this heartbreak,” Lindstrom told residents at an impromptu community gathering at Dryden Memorial Arena.
Provincial data shows drowning deaths increased 12% across Ontario in 2024, with nearly a third occurring in natural waterways. The Lifesaving Society of Ontario points to climate change creating more unpredictable water conditions as a contributing factor.
“What we’re seeing is creeks and rivers behaving differently than they have historically,” explains Dr. Samuel Chen, hydrologist at Lakehead University. “Areas that were safe for generations can become dangerous with little warning due to changing precipitation patterns.”
At Cooper Elementary School in Thunder Bay, where Thomas was entering fourth grade and Sarah would have started second, principal Janine Williams describes the profound impact on classmates. “Children process grief differently than adults. Some are asking very direct questions, while others are expressing themselves through art and stories.”
The school has brought in additional counselors from Thunder Bay Regional Health Centre to support students as they return for the new school year next week. A memorial garden is already being planned for the school’s courtyard.
Back in Dryden, the community response has been swift and heartfelt. Local businesses have donated supplies for the funeral, and a GoFundMe campaign organized by the Dryden Volunteer Firefighters Association has raised over $45,000 for the family in just three days.
“It should have never happened,” says Robert Nightingale, the children’s grandfather and a retired logger. “That creek’s been here as long as the town has. Never thought it could take my grandkids.”
The tragedy has sparked conversations about water safety education throughout the region. The Northwestern Health Unit has announced plans to expand its SwimSafe program to include specific modules on recognizing dangerous water conditions in natural settings.
Indigenous leaders from nearby Eagle Lake First Nation have also offered support to the family. Elder Margaret Beardy has been visiting the Nightingale home, bringing traditional medicines and offering guidance on grieving.
“Water gives life but demands respect,” Beardy explains. “We teach our children this from the moment they can walk. Perhaps there’s wisdom we can share more widely now.”
Provincial Transportation Minister David Williams visited Dryden yesterday, promising a review of watershed management practices in areas where residential properties border waterways. The Ministry plans to release updated safety guidelines by early 2026.
For the children’s parents, James and Rebecca Nightingale, the outpouring of support provides little comfort in their immediate grief. “We appreciate everything everyone is doing,” James said in a brief statement released through family friend Pastor Keith Enberg. “But right now, we just need space to make sense of a world without our children in it.”
The funeral service will be held this Saturday at Grace United Church in Dryden, with a livestream available for the many Thunder Bay classmates unable to attend in person.
As this community prepares to say goodbye to Thomas and Sarah, the conversation inevitably turns to prevention. Could warning systems have made a difference? Should property owners with waterfront access be required to install safety barriers? Would different emergency response protocols have changed the outcome?
These questions will be debated in town halls and living rooms across northwestern Ontario in the coming months. For now, though, Dryden gathers around a family broken by loss, demonstrating what small communities do best—showing up for each other when tragedy strikes.
As I leave the Nightingale property, Eleanor points to a pair of small handprints preserved in a concrete stepping stone near the garden gate. “They made those last summer,” she says. “I guess that’s how it’ll be now. Little reminders everywhere of what we’ve lost.”
In Dryden today, the creek continues to flow, oblivious to the grief it has caused. But the community has been forever changed by what happened on its banks—and determined to ensure Thomas and Sarah Nightingale are remembered by more than just the tragedy of how they died.
