In May, Maureen Enbury gathered with her family in Kamloops to celebrate the beginning of a loved one's life.

Three months after the first birthday celebrations of her granddaughter, Emily, Maureen is mourning the loss of her son.

On July 26, Owen Hanna drowned in the Thompson River near Kamloops Lake.

The 27-year-old vanished after going into the water to rescue his one-year-old Chihuahua, Roxy.

"I picture him just with a big smile on his face," Maureen told KTW.

"I have a picture of Owen holding Emily [at the birthday party in May] and that's the last picture — the last time I saw him."

Emily's birthday wasn't until June, but the family held the party early because Maureen and her husband, Ted, were about to set off on a months-long cross-country trek.

That vacation was cut short by the news of Owen's disappearance.

Maureen and Ted were in Ottawa on July 28 when they learned Owen was missing.

They immediately began to head back to B.C.

"It was a sad trip," she said, noting she and Ted made it back to Kamloops by July 31 — just in time to learn her son's body had been discovered near Cooney Bay.

"Then we spent the whole weekend with my daughter, Valerie, at her place, doing some reminiscing and talking and laughing and crying."

And hugging.

"Owen was a wonderful son and he loved to give big hugs," Maureen said.

"Lots of hugs."

Owen was born in Flin Flon, Man., and moved to Kamloops in 1991 at the age of nine.

He quickly fell in love with the city and its surroundings — a passion that would stay with him until he died.

"He loved the outdoors," she said, explaining that boating was something her son especially enjoyed.

"Every chance he got [he went boating], and tubing down the river."

Owen also loved animals — especially Roxy.

"He just got her last year," Maureen said.

"He used to go home for lunch. Every lunch-time, he'd always go home to have lunch and take her outside for a walk.

"He's going to miss Roxy."

Owen's not the only one missing Roxy, though.

Maureen's two-year-old Yorkie poodle, Timmy, was best friends with the young Chihuahua.

"Timmy will miss Roxy, although we're still hoping that she'll be found," Maureen said.

"She could have got to shore."

Maureen will miss her son's sense of humour and love of life more than anything.

"Just his fun-loving joking around," she said, referencing Owen's affinity for making prank calls to family members.

"He made phone calls and he used to change his voice and say he was somebody from some place else. He almost got me once."

Maureen will miss the phone calls — and everything else.

"Just looking outside at the daylight, a thought of Owen pops into my head and makes me cry," she said.

"Life goes on, but it's empty."