Ottawa boy finds gun while magnet fishing at Green’s Creek

By Dani-Elle Dubé

It’s a find unlike any other for any fisherman, let alone a mother and son duo out for an afternoon of magnet fishing.

Typically when 12-year-old Nathan Sirois and his mother Melanie go magnet fishing, they expect to catch cans and metal debris to help clear the shorelines as a way to help the environment.

This was their first time at Green’s Creek, but not their first time magnet fishing when they found their biggest find yet: a gun.

“We could see it in the water when it came close to the surface. It was a rifle or long gun of some sort,” Nathan recalled to the Ottawa police of his find that happened on Friday, May 13.

“We’ve located lots of pipes, metal, some bb pellets and trash,” said Melanie, “but nothing as exciting as this before.”

However, before they could get their hands around the gun, it fell back into the water. They tried to get it back for another hour, but the sun was going down.

But Nathan knew there was one thing left for him to do, and that was to call police.

“I told him we’d call in the morning when it was light out,” said Melanie, “and when he got up, the first thing he asked was, ‘Did you call yet?’”

The two led police to the area and within a half-hour, the dive team located the gun.

“We’re glad Nathan and Melanie reported this,” said Cst. Caroline Gallant, the Marine Dive Trail officer who located the gun. “Someone threw this in the water, intending it not to be found, so it may be evidence in a crime.”

Ottawa police say tests and research will be done on the gun to determine where it came from and if it’s connected to any crimes.

This will take several months to get answers.

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