Elzabeth Fraser
Lisa Gibson, the mother of two young children found dead on Coleridge Park Drive, was confirmed as the body police pulled from the Red River Saturday. (FACEBOOK)
A police diver enters the Assiniboine River Friday from a park across the street from the Gibson home. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)Photo Store
Police and water rescue move a body from the Red River to the riverbank near Waterfront Drive, Saturday. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)Photo Store
The body that was recovered in the Red River Saturday morning has been confirmed as Lisa Gibson, the 32-year-old woman who fled from her Westwood home on Wednesday, leaving her toddler and infant unresponsive in a bathtub.
Gibson's body was found south of the Alexander Docks. Police had been searching for Gibson around the family’s Westwood home until her body was discovered shortly after 9:30 a.m.
Several canoes and kayaks were on the river at the time for a paddling event when Gibson's body was found. Paddlers, many of them teenagers, could be seen hugging and crying as police worked to pull the body from the water.
"An autopsy has been completed, the investigation is ongoing,"said Cst. Eric Hofley, adding few other details to a tragedy that has hung over the city since this week's horrific discovery.
"It’s a most difficult time for everybody involved, of course foremost for the Gibson family, their extended family and friends," said Cst. Hofley. "This type of tragedy will affect people in different ways."
Cst. Hofley said the Gibson family is now requesting privacy.
It has been speculated Gibson is responsible for the incident but officers aren’t ruling out any possibilities.
Gibson was recently diagnosed with postpartum depression and was the last person who was with the children on Wednesday morning.
"On behalf of the Gibson family, the Winnipeg police service would like to take the time to thank the public and the media for their assistance and support during this difficult time," said Cst. Hofley. "When tragedy of this magnitude happens to someone in our community all of us are deeply affected by it.
Gibson had been missing since Wednesday when her two young children were found in critical condition in their house. The two-year-old girl and three-month-old baby boy died in hospital. Police are not releasing the cause of death at this point despite an autopsy having being conducted.
Gibson's open Facebook page, which has since been restricted, was full of happy pictures of her two children: curly-haired toddler Anna and infant Nicholas.
The page included a family photo that appeared to be taken at a hospital shortly after the birth of Nicholas in April, along with a proud birth announcement.
The last posting was mid-June — a picture of Anna with the caption reading: "Man I love this kid.''
— with files from the Canadian Press
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