Family and friends of a Yarmouth County man are grieving his death and celebrating his life after his body was pulled from an icy river in New Glasgow on Monday.

Twenty-five-year-old Shawn Hugh Thompson is presumed to have drowned after falling through the ice of the East River.

Police divers in New Glasgow discovered his body on Monday morning, March 17, less than an hour after beginning their search.

Thompson was in the New Glasgow area working as a roofer on the construction of a new Canadian Tire store. He was an employee of Hoben’s Roofing and Contracting Ltd., which is based in Brooklyn.

The New Glasgow Police Service is still conducting its investigation. Constable Ken Macdonald says they’re in the process of interviewing people who may have seen Thompson on the day, or the days, leading up to when he fell through the ice. The police are trying to piece together when the incident may have occurred. Const. Macdonald said police can only speculate as to why he may have been crossing the icy river, perhaps using it as a shortcut.

There had never been a missing person report filed. Rather it was a set of footprints reported by a resident that drew police to the icy river on Sunday.

“In the afternoon a New Glasgow resident who usually walks the trial noticed footprints going out on the ice and was very concerned and called us to check it out,” says Const. Macdonald.

He says a police officer checked the area and noticed some breakage in the ice. The New Glasgow Fire Rescue was then contacted says Const. Macdonald. After getting out onto the ice, a baseball cap was found in the broken ice.

Because it was getting dark, police divers could only begin their search in the morning. Thompson’s body was pulled from the river around 10 a.m. on Monday.

Police did not release his name until Tuesday.

A Facebook memorial page, R.I.P. Shawn Thompson, has been set up by friends of Thompson. His friends are remembering him as a fun-hearted man who enjoyed dirt bikes and truck rallies. They are calling his death at such a young age a tragic loss, particularly for his family.

Thompson leaves behind a young daughter. He and his girlfriend were also expecting another child in the spring. He was the son of Brian and Lynn Thompson of Overton.

Thompson’s funeral will be held March 22 at 3 p.m. in Sweeney's Funeral Home Chapel. Donations in his memory may be made to a trust fund set up for his daughter Taylor Fitzgerald, in care of his sister Katie Bishara.