Jaqueline McDermott

1999 - 2022  (23 years)

• Name	Jaqueline McDermott
  Born	1999
  Gender	Female
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-227387
  Died	Sep 2022	, British Columbia, Canada
  Person ID	I227387	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Leigh McDermott
  Mother	Nathalie
  Family ID	F62200	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Body of missing Waterloo woman found in B.C. Police don't believe criminal activity was a factor in the death of Jaqueline McDermott, 22 MERRITT, B.C. \emdash The body of a 22-year-old Waterloo woman who hadn't been seen or heard from since Sept. 29 was found Saturday by police search and rescue teams in British Columbia. Although the RCMP says a full determination has yet to be made, they don't believe criminal activity was involved in Jaqueline McDermott's sudden death but add that the B.C. Coroners Service has launched a fact-finding investigation. McDermott was last seen near her vehicle after attending a meditation retreat last Friday near Merritt, a city about 270 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. But she left after a short time, the RCMP have said. Her father, Leigh McDermott, previously told The Record that Jaqueline was in B.C. for activities such as tree planting, working on a farm and painting, while living in her outfitted van, "to enjoy some of the Western Canada culture and just do some things that she had dreamt of doing." Her vehicle, which appears to have broken down, was found on Highway 97C between Merritt and Logan Lake, but she wasn't in or near it. "Thank you for the outpouring of support we have received in our search for Jaqui," her mother, Nathalie St-Maurice, posted on Facebook on Sunday. "We are devastated to report that her body was found yesterday after exhaustive searches by the B.C. Search and Rescue teams. "Our hearts are forever shattered. Please respect our privacy as we learn how to live in a world without her. Please keep her in your hearts." "Body Of Missing Waterloo Woman Found In B.C.". 2022. Therecord.Com. https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/10/09/body-of-missing-waterloo-woman-found-in-bc.html. _____________________ 'She was clearly battling demons': Mother of woman who went missing in B.C. reeling from her death Jaqueline McDermott, 22, went missing in late September before her body was found about a week later By Cheyenne Bholla Record Reporter WATERLOO \emdash Nathalie St-Maurice spent Wednesday cleaning out sketchbooks and journals from inside her daughter's van. Jaqui McDermott, 22, an avid skateboarder and tree planter, went missing in British Columbia late last month. The Waterloo woman was visiting the province but had not been heard from since Sept. 29. Her vehicle, which appeared to have broken down, was found on Highway 97C between Merritt and Logan Lake. Her disappearance sparked an extensive air and ground search, which for a week came up empty. Then on Oct. 9, a few days after McDermott's parents flew to B.C. to help look for her, police search and rescue teams found McDermott's body. St-Maurice said she learned her daughter died from suicide a short while later. "It's still the most unbelievable part of this whole situation \emdash that she ended her life. It's very hard for us to come to terms with," said St-Maurice. Knowing that trees planters do a lot of walking, St-Maurice said she first thought her daughter had gone off to get some quiet time or to live on the land for a bit. But the numerous sketchbooks and journals McDermott left behind soon revealed to St-Maurice that her daughter was "battling some demons." "It's really hard as a mom to know that your baby has suffered in any way, certainly in this way, and you didn't know," said St-Maurice, fighting back tears. "That's something I'll never be able to forget is that she was clearly battling demons and I didn't know. I feel like I should've known." McDermott had had many long-term plans, including to become a reiki healer and to see mountains in 10 different countries. "She always started every day with a smile," said St-Maurice. McDermott was a tattoo artist who loved to be creative, a quality that was reflected in her van, which she had decorated and outfitted so she could live in it. St-Maurice's favourite memory of her daughter is McDermott dancing during a family wedding in early September. "Jaqui dancing happily \emdash that's a memory I will always keep in my heart," she said. To keep Jaqueline's memory alive, St-Maurice plans to leave her daughter's van at an Alberta tree-planting farm where McDermott worked. There people can use the van, and can continue to enjoy and benefit from all the work Jacqui put into giving the vehicle character, said St-Maurice. Then St-Maurice and her husband will drive back to Waterloo, taking the route her daughter would have. St-Maurice wants McDermott's death to open a conversation about addressing mental health issues, so that people can learn how they can help loved ones in difficult times. "I think part of the difficulty is if someone reaches out to you and they're talking about things that maybe they need help with, we don't know what to say. We don't know what to do. We don't know how to receive that information and act on it," said St-Maurice. "We've got to figure out how we help people before it's too late." How to get help: Here 24-7: 1-844-437-3247; Distress Line: 519-745-1166; Youth Line: 519-745-9909; Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 Cheyenne Bholla is a Waterloo Region-based reporter at The Record. Reach her via email: cbholla@therecord.com "'She Was Clearly Battling Demons': Mother Of Woman Who Went Missing In B.C. Reeling From Her Death". Therecord.Com, 2022, https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/10/19/she-was-clearly-battling-demons-mother-of-woman-who-went-missing-in-bc-reeling-from-her-death.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=rec_web_ymbii. Accessed 21 Oct 2022.

  
  

• Event Map

  Died - Sep 2022 - , British Columbia, Canada  = Link to Google Earth