Kerstin Wetter is being remembered as a fierce, loyal and hilarious person, who loved her partner Trevor Halliday, family, friends and her two dogs, Whiskey and Ace, immensely.
The 32-year-old, who lived in a small town in the Annapolis Valley, died suddenly earlier this month, shocking her family, who told CityNews in an interview that they still expect Wetter to walk through the door like nothing ever happened.
On Aug. 3, Wetter was at her parents’ house, venting to her two sisters and her mom, Tammy Turner. The family explained in an interview that Wetter had some mental health concerns, and on the day she went missing, her emotions were particularly heightened. She would have bad panic attacks occasionally, her sisters, Kalie and Chelsey, explained.
That day, the family was starting to get concerned about where Wetter went. The family went out to the woods surrounding the property and called for her. It wasn’t until 8:00 p.m. that evening when she was reported missing to the RCMP.
“When my sister phoned the police, they were quick to come and get a search started. They were in the woods searching and had a drone in the air within an hour or so after calling them,” Carrie said of the efforts from the community of Nictaux. “By morning, the community was full of people, searching everywhere in and out of the woods.”
But tragically, the next day, around 7:30 a.m. Wetter was found dead in the forest just off Highway 10.
When speaking to CityNews, Wetter’s family confirmed there was no indication of self-harm leading to her death. However, they do believe Wetter could have been dealing with some undiagnosed mental health problems.
“Kerstin definitely wasn’t one to want to bother people with her issues,” Carrie said. “But when it got to these stages, it was obviously noticeable that she was struggling.”
Because Wetter was private, it made getting help tough, not to mention the related expenses attached to receiving mental health care without insurance coverage. The family isn’t sure how, if at all, this impacted her death, but they are hoping that sharing Wetter’s story helps people take their mental health seriously.
The family is asking the community to chip in to a GoFundMe to help lay Wetter to rest. The funds will also go to counselling services for the family as they grieve this situation.
Leaving behind many people who love her
Wetter’s death has sent shockwaves through the large family who grew up close to their cousins and siblings. Speaking to CityNews in an interview, Alyssa Turner, the youngest cousin, said that Wetter was protective of the people she loved.
“She had a quick wit and could make anyone laugh even in the tough moments,” Alyssa said.
Although the family believes that maybe behind closed doors, Wetter was scared, she put on an armour of strength around those who love her. One story the family said encapsulates Wetter happened decades ago when she was just 2.5 years old.
Wetter was in her basement bedroom and “staged” an escape.
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“She piled the blocks up to the window, opened the window, climbed out and was on her way to find where her cousin Nicole was going,” Tammy, Wetter’s mom said laughing.
When her parents realized she was gone, it prompted a full-scale search for the 2-year-old until they got a call from someone in the community.
These moments and stories are some of the ones the family will be holding close as they continue to process her death.
“She never did anything halfway, whether it was juggling multiple jobs or taking on new challenges,” Carrie said. “She faced it head-on. She worked hard, not because she had to, but because she wanted to give her best, and that was just her way.”
