In a GoFundMe post, Enock Nyabuto said his older sister, Hellen Wendy, was “enjoying an afternoon swim when she tragically drowned” on August 18. Nyabuto said his sister lived in Toronto but was working a temporary job in Collingwood. Ontario Provincial Police said emergency crews responded to a report of a drowning around 5:44 p.m. The OPP said a woman was pulled from the water and despite life-saving measures, she was pronounced dead. Police have released her identity as 23-year-old Hellen Nyabuto of North York. Investigators said the incident remains under investigation but is not suspicious. Story continues below ad

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According to the GoFundMe page, their family lives in Kisii, Kenya. “Helen Wendy was full of life. With a warm smile and a charming heart,” the post read. “Everyone who met Wendy was uplifted. She was passionate about her work and touched many hearts.” According to a report by CNN, the tragic incident was recorded by the camera. The woman’s father, 56-year-old Nyabuto John Kiyondi, told CNN from his home in Kenya that he saw the video. “I cried. It’s terrible,” she told the report. “He contacted me two days before he went missing. It sounded very nice and I was very happy. He promised me a phone. I didn’t feel anything abnormal,” he said. Trending Stories

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According to Nyabuto, the family is seeking donations to repatriate his sister’s body to Nairobi, adding that the cost to do so is about $50,000. “Your generous contribution to this cause is greatly appreciated as we go through this extreme circumstance of losing a loved one,” he wrote. As of Wednesday morning, the post had raised more than $47,000 in donations — nearly reaching its goal. Story continues below ad Alfonce Nyamwaya was a friend of Hellen Wendy Nyabuto. He told Global News that he was with her a few hours before her death. Nyamwaya said Nyabuto worked as a personal support worker and had returned to the Key Motel for a swim to cool off after her shift. He said Nyabuto was a “young girl” who liked to have fun and use social media. He said he often saw her posting live streams on social networking sites. Nyamwaya confirmed that Nyabuto was broadcasting live at the time of the accident. He said the loss of Nyabuto is “devastating”. “It’s really heartbreaking,” he said. Nyamwaya said he was a “super hero” to her family. “(Hellen) is really a great girl, she’s a great girl, she’s an outgoing girl,” he said. “He loves people very much.” According to Nyamwaya, Nyabuto was working to support her family back home in Kenya, including two children for whom she was paying school fees. “He was the breadwinner in the family,” she explained. “It is a great loss for the family. It’s a great loss for us as friends.” Navneet Nagra, owner of the Key Motel called the incident “shocking” and “truly tragic”. Story continues below ad “I looked back at the security camera and I wish I was there — I would have jumped in,” Nagra said. Nagra said the pool is up to code, but said it is unsupervised, adding that no one else was there at the time of the incident. According to Nagra, Nyabuto stayed at the hotel for about 15 days. Nagra said she did not speak to Nyabuto herself during her stay. Nagra said Nyabuto was in the pool for three hours before she was discovered. — With files from Gabby Rodrigues of Global News © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.