Missing woman found in Ottawa River

Dana was living in an apartment in Peterborough when she went missing on December 23, 2009.

Police made the announcement on Tuesday, June 29 and noted Dana was found drowned in the river three weeks ago. It is believed she was in the water for at least three months.

Ottawa police had struggled to identify the remains for two weeks. Dental records finally confirmed the worst for the young woman's family, some of whom are still living in the local area.

The department released images of the clothing the woman was wearing, including photos of a green army-style jacket, which is similar to clothing her sister, Tamara, said she was likely wearing at the time of her disappearance.

Police have ruled the death as accidental and no foul play is suspected.

Tamara issued a statement on behalf of her family through a Facebook group she had started to keep friends and family updated on Dana's situation.

"I wish I could speak to each of you in person," Tamara wrote. "I know this news will come as a shock and I share it with a heavy heart. On June 10 a body was retrieved from the Ottawa River - it was confirmed to be Dana's body today. Our family is doing our best to cope with this surprising and tragic news.

"I would like to thank every person for supporting the search for Dana. I want you to know that although we hoped for a very different outcome we are immensely grateful for the outpouring of care and support, from family, friends and strangers alike. We are thankful to have such a wonderful group supporting us through this time."

Earlier this year, Tamara told The Review Dana had a history of disappearances, but this was the longest she had ever gone without making contact with family.

"Dana has done this in the past, but never for this long," Tamara stated. "We're not sure why she took off or where she went. In the past, she has taken off when certain stressors in her life (such as school) become a bit too much. I guess you could say it's like a coping mechanism for her. But, it's not like her to go for so long without contacting us. This is a very odd situation, for sure."

In an e-mail sent to The Review on Monday, February 1, Tamara reported that Dana may have been spotted in Victoria, British Columbia.

"Friends of ours spent time in Victoria talking to individuals in the area - a staff member at a shelter downtown stated that she did see and speak to Dana on or around the January 18," Tamara wrote. "The staff member said that Dana was asking about food and that she looked okay."

Tamara and her family held out hope that Dana was safe and healthy and would eventually make her way back home.

A Trent University masters student, Dana, had been diagnosed with a mental illness described as bipolar and schizoaffective disorder and her family feared she had stopped taking her medication at the time of her disappearance.