Search team honoured for finding Owen Bedford

The Brandon Police Service awarded four search and rescue members with citizen recognition awards on Tuesday for finding the body of an 18-year-old Brandon man who went missing in June.

Anishinabe of Riding Mountain Search and Rescue Team members Marshall Laurence, Owen Burns, Aaron Campbell and Brennan Shorting were honoured during an invitation-only ceremony at Brandon City Hall Tuesday morning.

BPS also hosted the event to honour the late Owen Bedford, whose body was found by the search and rescue team on June 20, five days after he went missing.

“You gave our family the greatest gift — the gift was the chance to bring him home and to begin to heal,” Bedford’s sister, Jordan, told the team members at the ceremony.

Police Chief Tyler Bates said the efforts of the Anishinabe of Riding Mountain team were very much appreciated during the multi-day, citywide search.

“Your dedication and strength during the search effort reflect the very best of service and to humanity itself,” Bates told the four volunteers and guests, made up mostly of family and friends.

“We thank you for your commitment, your compassion and your unwavering support,” Bates said. “Those efforts, that support, was deeply appreciated,”

Shorting said he’s grateful for the recognition that he and his colleagues have been given during what has been a difficult time for Bedford’s family.

“I’ve grown up with lots of trauma. Everyone has trauma, and not a lot of people get to bring their child home when there’s a situation that just happened like this. So it’s pretty big deal for myself,” Shorting said after the ceremony.

“It’s not the outcome everyone wanted, but being successful is the best part of it,” he said about being able to bring Bedford home. “I’m just happy we were able to find him.”

He said the search process was difficult, as it was his first search and rescue effort.

Laurence said he has “mixed feelings” about being honoured.

“We’ve done our job. We participated. We did what we signed up to do — to help,” Laurence said.

He said, however, that he’s grateful to be recognized and that Tuesday’s event helped give closure to both the team members and Bedford’s family.

Honourees were given a giant plaque, coin and BPS badge. A letter signed by Bates describes their “dedication and excellence” and praises their “perseverance and compassion.”

Bedford went missing early in the morning on Sunday, June 15. The search team found his partially submerged body on the bank of the Assiniboine River on the Friday afternoon. First responders, family, friends and hundreds of volunteers helped search to find him over the course of the week.

Jordan Bedford thanked the search and rescue team for what they did to help her family.

“It wasn’t the end that we prayed for, but it gave us peace. Because of you, Owen was found, and because of you, we were able to bring him home. Thank you,” she said while trying to hold back tears.

“You may see what you did simply as doing your job, but for us, it changed everything. You carried a piece of our pain with you, and we will never, ever forget that.”

Bates said the loss has been difficult for the entire community.

“The loss of Owen Bedford is a profound reminder of how fragile and precious life is,” the chief said.

“In the midst of grief, we have witnessed something powerful, however — the strength of unity, coming together of people from every corner of our city and region, united in hope, compassion and purpose. That is the spirit of the community of Brandon.”

Bates said the search and rescue team, along with other search and rescue organizations that helped scour the city, helped provide the family with closure. If not for them, and the countless volunteers who took part, people could still be searching for Bedford’s body today, he said.

» alambert@brandonsun.com