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
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.
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.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busty stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
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.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.