Adventurous, kind-hearted boy was in vehicle that was swept off the road
MARTOCK, N.S. — Colton Sisco brought joy to everyone he met.
At six years old, his mom described him as an old soul — someone who loved the outdoors and helping others.
He had a mischievous grin and eyes that sparkled.
And he had a tremendous love of popcorn.
His mother, Tera Sisco, of Martock, is heartbroken as she reminisces and prepares for his funeral.
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Colton was one of four people who went missing in the early morning hours of July 22, during a torrential rainstorm that dumped three months’ worth of rain on Nova Scotia in a 24-hour period.
The last time she saw her son was Friday afternoon, July 21.
“I was sleeping for a nightshift and he was excited to go (see his friend). I said, ‘You know you got to get back here and give me a hug and a kiss’ and he crawled on top of me and he gives me a hug and he goes, ‘I love you mommy,’” she recalled.
“I hugged him back and that was that,” she said, her voice cracking as she remembers her kind-hearted boy.
Remembering Colton
Colton Arthur Sisco was born in Halifax on April 25, 2017, to his parents, Chris and Tera (Leggett) Sisco.
Though his life was short, Sisco said he made sure every day was special; every day was an adventure.
She laughs as she recalls an incident earlier this year when Colton attempted to make popcorn by himself. She was outside and thought her neighbours had burnt toast. The smell intensified as she entered the home.
“I looked at him and was like, ‘What’s that smell?’ and he goes ‘Nothing.’ And his brother goes, ‘Mom, Colton put a bag of popcorn in (the microwave) for 23 minutes,’” she recalled.
Colton’s 11-year-old brother Alex, who “was his constant companion,” thankfully stopped the microwave part-way through.
“There’s a cute, cute video of my reaction to it. I didn’t freak out at him. I just opened it up. Inside the microwave was dark, dark brown. The popcorn was a black brick. He was just sitting there staring at me, eating a whole bag of Goldfish crackers, like, ‘I don’t know what happened,’” she said, laughing at the memory.
Colton could devour three bags of popcorn a day, if given the chance, she said.
About a week before Colton’s sixth birthday, Sisco brought home three meat pigs. Colton immediately took to one of them, naming him Jakeson. He cared for the animals, as well as the ducks at their rural West Hants property.
“We weren’t allowed to eat him. We had to rehome him but we could eat the other ones — because they stunk,” she said with a chuckle, knowing she will have to send Jakeson to a new home in the future, like Colton would have wanted.
Colton loved animals and helping others. If the family was outside working, he was outside working alongside them. His obituary noted he shared a true love of farming, and that he “adored his best friend, Rhett Oulton, and had grand plans for their farming adventures.”
When he went to visit his grand-mère at Kendall Lane Courts, which was usually a couple times a week, he would volunteer to walk other senior citizens home, taking their hands and helping them. He was their beloved unofficial mascot.
“He was so sweet with them.”
His obituary notes he “loved watching YouTube videos, riding his bike, and playing on the Xbox. He had a special fondness for the animated show Grizzy and the Lemmings.”
He also loved Transformers and superheroes, particularly Spider-Man.
Honouring Colton
Sisco said everyone is devastated by the loss of Colton and the others who went missing during that fateful storm. As of July 28, three bodies have been recovered, and the search for the fourth missing person continues.
Like so many in West Hants, she’s still processing what happened.
The Siscos had separated for a while and during that time apart, her partner Chris had rented an apartment in Brooklyn from Nick and Courtney Harnish. Colton would spend time there and got to know their six-year-old daughter, Natalie, who also perished during the floods.
On July 21, the day the storm started, Colton said he missed Natalie and wanted to see her.
“It’s just a fluke,” said Sisco, reflecting on that fateful decision.
She went to work while Chris went to the apartment with Colton. She remembers calling Chris, alerting him to the flooding situation in Brooklyn. He discovered there was water coming inside the apartment and said they were going to flee. She tried to reach the Harnishes to warn them as well.
As she waited for Chris to call, she listened to the scanner. That call never came. Instead, she heard over the airwaves that “there was a child in the water. Everything between that is a blur.”
Chris was rescued and transported to Truro for medical care.
The next hours and days were hell, as searchers tried to locate four people who went missing along Highway 14 when a flash flood pushed two vehicles off the road and into a field.
“We’re just broken-hearted parents,” she said.
Sisco said she can’t thank all the first responders enough for their efforts, or the community for the compassion that her family has been shown in the days that followed the storm.
“I want every volunteer and their family to know how grateful I am for their time,” she said.
She gave a special shout-out to Armour Transportation Systems and Federal Fleet Services for helping her father get to Nova Scotia from B.C., and Dexter Construction Company Ltd. for deploying resources to the search scene.
A celebration of life service for Colton will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m. at the Windsor United Church. Attendees are encouraged to wear bright colours, especially orange and blue, in remembrance of Colton’s vibrant spirit.
“I know some people are going to wear Spider-Man costumes if they can, and superhero shirts under their navy dress shirts, and funny ties,” said Sisco, noting Colton would have loved that.
Colton is survived by his parents, Chris and Tera Sisco; his brother, Alex Leggett; his uncle Ryan (Jessica) Leggett and aunt Sarah (Navelle) Sisco; his cousins Eli and Natalie Leggett and Anthony Weagle; his grandparents Calvin (Trish) Leggett, Irene Sisco, and David (Carolyn) Sisco; his great-grandmother Myrna Leggett; and his special uncle Edward Williams.
He was predeceased by his great-aunt Marlene Patterson, as well as his great-grandparents St. Clair and Eudora Patterson, Fran Sisco, and Victerine Muise.
Donations made in memory of Colton can be directed to ground search and rescue teams in Nova Scotia, the Oaklawn Farm Zoo, or to a local volunteer fire department. There is also a Go Fund Me page set up to help Colton’s parents as they navigate through their grief. As of July 28, more than $32,000 has been raised. Visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/degzn-prayers-for-colton.
“Though Colton’s time with us was short, his impact on our lives will forever be etched in our hearts,” his obituary reads.
“May his spirit continue to shine brightly, and may his memory inspire us to cherish every moment and spread love and joy wherever we go. Rest in peace, dear Colton Arthur Sisco. Your light will never fade.”
Carole Morris-Underhill is the lead editor of the Valley Journal-Advertiser. She can be reached by email at [email protected]
