Remains of McGill graduate killed in Surfside tragedy found
Anna Gromova says there hasn’t been a day she hasn’t cried -- and it’s been 27 days.
“It’s been extremely hard. It’s almost been one month,” she told CTV News.
Her 24-year-old sister Anastasiya was among the last people still missing from the collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside June 24.
Authorities identified the woman's remains on Wednesday, her mother Larysa Gromova confirmed to CTV News.
Anastasiya is one of 97 victims of the Miami disaster.
A polyglot with an adventurous spirit, Anastasiya Gromova had just finished her bachelor’s degree at McGill University and had been accepted to a program to teach English in Japan in the fall.
The young woman had travelled to Taiwan, Malaysia and to New Zealand alone, and could speak English, French, Russian and Japanese. Her family said she was in Surfside spending time with a friend of hers — another McGill student, Michelle Pazos. The remains of both Pazos and her father, who owned a condo there, have also been identified.
“It wasn’t the last trip together before Japan, it was the last trip together for all,” Larysa said. “And I believe they’re together now.”
The family could do little but wait for nearly a month as investigators combed through the scene.
"We’re still here in this mourning period that never ends,” Anna Gromova said before her remains were found. "It’s just taking too long. We’re really looking for closure. It’s just excruciating."
Anna described her sister as a driven and self-sufficient person who was curious about the world.
“I just hoped we had more time together, but I’m also grateful for the time we had,” she said.
“She was like a star that burned bright and fell fast. Everything was over way too fast.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.