HOLYOKE — After a 10-day search, the body of Niklas Delisle was located on Friday afternoon, just 400 feet from where his kayak had capsized on the night of May 19 on the Connecticut River, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.
There will be a candlelight vigil for the 27-year-old Chicopee native tomorrow in the auditorium of Chicopee Comprehensive High School on Saturday morning beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Mischa Roy, a longtime family friend to the Delisle family, said following the news that Delisle’s body had been recovered that, “it’s been an excruciating wait holding out hope while everyone waited to find Nick.”
“With the weather and the river being so dangerous it’s been quite an ordeal to continue searching for him,” she said. “I’m just so glad he was brought home so his family can get some closure and start the healing process.”
According to Holyoke Fire Capt. David Rex, a submersible drone used by the the Marine Patrol Unit of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office spotted Delisle just south the Vietnam Veterans Bridge that connects Holyoke and South Hadley.
“We were going out there positive today to try and give this family some closure,” said Rex. “We extend our condolences but are relieved we could offer some closure.”
Rex commends the several departments who have been engaged in the search, including search teams from Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Agawam, Springfield, West Springfield and the State Police, who were often limited by the intense current of the Connecticut River over the past week.
Delisle’s kayak capsized beneath the bridge during a time of strong currents in the Connecticut River.
On the night of the incident, Delisle was in a two-passenger kayak with his girlfriend, Mya Ballard, when it tipped at approximately 7:30 p.m. Ballard was rescued by an anonymous bystander on shore, but Delisle, who was not wearing a flotation device, did not make it back to shore.
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
