Victoria Emon never imagined her wedding would be missing such an important guest.
But hours before the ceremony was set to begin on Sunday, her mother, Ann Wittenberg, drowned in a tragic surfing accident off the coast of Vancouver Island.
Left with an impossible choice, Emon decided to carry on with the wedding, believing that's what the woman who raised her would have wanted. Wittenberg, who lives in Ottawa, had flown across the country to be there for her big day – and despite what happened, Emon believes part of her still was.
"I kept looking for her," Emon wrote in an emotional Facebook post. "And she was there. There was an eagle that flew the whole night with us, it was truly amazing."
The accident happened at Long Beach, a popular surf destination outside Tofino, where Wittenberg and one of Emon's sisters decided to go surfing before the wedding.
The 52-year-old is believed to have slipped off her board and fallen into the water.
Onlookers rushed into the waves to pull her out and tried to perform CPR, but Wittenberg's life could not be saved.
On Monday, Emon, who lives in Vernon, thanked everyone for their desperate efforts.
"I am so grateful for everyone that helped her out of the water. For everyone that prayed for her, especially to the girls that took care of (my sister)," she told CTV News.
Some on social media have criticized her decision to continue with the wedding, but Emon asked that they try to understand the position she was in.
"It was the hardest day of my life," she wrote on Facebook. "Just because I went ahead with does not mean it was easy in any way. I loved her so much."
The tragedy took place near Lovekin Rock, where another surfer died just a few months ago in February. The beach was also controversially stripped of its lifeguard tower back in 2012.
In light of Wittenberg's death, the RCMP issued a public warning to all visitors in the Tofino area, reminding them that it's their responsibility to be aware of and manage the risks associated with ocean-related activities.
"Ocean waves and currents can be unpredictable," the Tofino detachment said in a news release. "While the ocean offers many wonderful recreational opportunities, it is incumbent on participants … to educate themselves."
Wittenberg's death remains under investigation by the BC Coroners Service.
