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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.