Family members and friends have identified Kendall Moore, 17, and Craig Wood, 19, as the two teens recovered from the Kwitzil Lake Sunday afternoon.
At 4 a.m. Sunday morning, emergency crews including were called to the area after a vehicle went into the lake, which was the scene of a large party throughout the night.
It's believed hundreds of people attended the party.
Moore was among roughly 150 members of D.P. Todd secondary school's 2014 graduating class and Wood was a close friend who attended the festivities as her date.
"Our family is heartbroken for the tragic loss of Craig and our thoughts and prayers go out to Kendall Moore's family as well," said Trish Howard, Wood's aunt.
Born and raised in Prince George, Wood enjoyed camping, fishing, trucks and came from a very close family, said Howard. "He was so dear to me that I wanted to have him come along with my own kids on family vacations, because he was such a good person to be around."
He is survived by his parents Rodney Wood, mother Laura Lipus and two younger sisters, Courtney and Kaitlyn.
"Craig was a kind, loving, funny, charismatic person," said Howard, adding that her nephew had plans to begin a career in the trades, working under his uncle in the drywall industry.
"He was about to make some big changes in his life," she said.
Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said just before Sunday at 4 p.m., with assistance from the RCMP's provincial underwater recovery team, the vehicle was removed from the body of water, more commonly known as Gravel Pit Lake, 42 kilometres west of Prince George.
The investigation into how the vehicle ended up in the water is still ongoing, and Howard said they are deferring to the current police account of the incident. According to RCMP, both Wood and Moore were apparently sleeping in the vehicle when it began a slow roll towards the lake.
Roughly 30 people were still at the party at the time, said Mazie Henderson, 17.
"It was really horrifying," she said. "It happened so fast."
According to Henderson, who is also in this year's D.P. Todd graduating class, about 10 people dove into the water to try and rescue the pair, but were unsuccessful.
"We thank them deeply and cannot begin to express our gratitude for their kind efforts," Howard said of those who tried to help, as well as emergency personnel.
Howard said police determined the vehicle came to rest in about 20 feet of water so cold the RCMP dive team needed thermal gear.
"Please understand the police are still investigating and many facts still need to be determined through their professional efforts," Howard said.
Neither Howard nor Douglass could confirm if drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.
"Our eyes are wide open," when it comes to the investigation, said Douglass. "We're not presuming anything."
It will take time to conduct a thorough investigation, he said, which will be done in conjunction with the BC Coroners Service. The RCMP are asking anyone with information about what happened to contact the local detachment at 250-561-3300.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, one lesson to be learned from the incident is there needs to be a new way of notifying next of kin in the age of social media, Howard said.
Wood's mother first learned of her son's death online Sunday morning, Howard said.
"I don't think any person should find out that they lost a loved one from a post on Facebook or on the Internet," she said. "It's unfathomable and it's really, really difficult for me to wrap my brain around the whole thing."
Howard said the RCMP came to her mother's home to deliver the news about the bodies being recovered at 9 p.m. Sunday night. A press release had been sent out three-and-a-half hours earlier.
"And that's the part where we said 'This is so unfair,'" Howard said, noting she understands there are procedures, but the news had already gone viral. "I understand you want to do this stuff in person, but if you're going to be sending out information then we, as the family, need to know."
It's too early for any details about a memorial service, said Howard, but more information will be provided once arrangements are made.
The party at the lake was not connected to any parent or school-sponsored prom or grad event, said School District 57 superintendent Brian Pepper. However, he acknowledged that all six of the city's high schools will be affected by Sunday morning's tragedy.
"As a result, school district student support services, senior administration and school principals [that make up the District Critical Events Response Team] have spent the last two days preparing for student return to school following the long weekend," Pepper said. "Incidents of this type, especially at this time of year, affect staff as well. We have a protocol in effect to provide support for staff."
