A wave of profound grief has swept across the central Newfoundland region following the tragic passing of young youth hockey player Alex Dawe. Alex lost his life in a devastating drowning accident on Thursday afternoon, July 9, 2026, at a popular local swimming area just outside the town of Grand Falls-Windsor.
As the heartbreaking news ripples through the province, minor hockey associations, close family networks, and neighbors are rallying together to lift up his parents, Lakyn and Brian, and his siblings, Max and Lila.
| Data Parameter | Official Emergency & Community Record |
| Full Name | Alex Dawe |
| Hometown | Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Date of Passing | Thursday, July 9, 2026 (Pronounced at scene) |
| Incident Location | Leech Brook Swimming Hole (Grand Falls-Windsor area) |
| Athletic Core | Grand Falls-Windsor Minor Hockey Association (GFWMHA) |
| Investigating Force | Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP Detachment) |
| Active First Responders | Exploits Search and Rescue & Regional EMS |
| Community Tribute Movement | #SticksOutForAlex |
Emergency Response at Leech Brook Swimming Hole
According to an official media release issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Newfoundland and Labrador division, emergency dispatchers received an urgent distress call at approximately 4:30 p.m. NT on Thursday. The report indicated that a youth was in critical distress in the water at the Leech Brook swimming hole, a well-known area located near the town of Grand Falls-Windsor.
A multi-agency emergency response was deployed immediately. Personnel from the RCMP Grand Falls-Windsor detachment, local Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and specialized volunteers from the Exploits Search and Rescue team arrived rapidly on the scene to execute a rescue operation.
Search and rescue volunteers successfully located the youth in the water and brought him back to the shoreline. Despite the exhaustive efforts of the first responders on site, medical teams were unable to revive him. Alex was tragically pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been formally brought in to determine the official cause and manner of death. In their public briefing, the RCMP stated:
“RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and community of the deceased.”
#SticksOutForAlex: Hockey Community Unites in Tribute
Alex was a beloved member of the local athletic community, playing as a dedicated youth player within the Grand Falls-Windsor Minor Hockey Association (GFWMHA). As news of the loss reached across the province’s hockey family, minor hockey groups immediately organized a widespread visual tribute.
Associations including the Trinity Placentia Minor Hockey Association (TPMHA) and the Clarenville Area Minor Hockey Association (CAMHA) have issued calls to action for families all across Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in the #SticksOutForAlex campaign. Residents are putting their hockey sticks out on front porches and doorsteps to show the Dawe family that they are not grieving alone.
A statement shared by the Clarenville Area Minor Hockey Association underscored the deep bond felt across the league:
“The hockey community is more than a game—it’s a family. Today, we stand together with the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts to remember Alex Dawe and to support everyone whose lives have been touched by this heartbreaking loss. If you have a hockey stick, place it outside your front door as a simple but powerful tribute to Alex. It’s a symbol that he will always be part of the hockey family.”
Close family friend Danielle Mercer shared the community’s collective shock and heartbreak online while wrapping the immediate family in prayers:
“My heart is absolutely shattered. This is every parent’s worst nightmare and it’s happening to one of the most loving, AMAZING families I’ve ever met… Lakyn, Brian, Max and Lila… surround yourself with love and may the strength of God get you through these hard days to follow. Everyone get your sticks out and show your support for Alex Dawe, an incredible young man gone too soon.”
Funeral service arrangements and formal memorial registry guidelines are expected to be updated by the family and the GFWMHA in the coming days.