A mum-of-two has been found dead in a canal after she failed to pick up her daughters from their babysitter.
Jana Bahvalova, 29, a Latvian citizen, was pulled from Bridgewater Canal in Altrincham.
Her sister Diāna described her as a ‘devoted’ mum with a ‘quiet, kind and gentle soul’.
She said: ‘After separating from her husband, Jana was raising her two daughters on her own. She loved cycling very much, which was something that brought her peace and happiness.
‘Jana was a devoted mother to her two daughters, Adelina and Kate. She raised them on her own, always doing everything she could to provide a safe, loving and stable home.
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‘Her passing has deeply affected her family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of knowing her.’
Jana was reported missing on December 8 after she had not picked up her two daughters Adelina and Kate from their babysitter.
She was working as a hotel cleaner at the time of her death, and was known for being ‘hardworking, reliable and humble’.
Diāna said: ‘She never complained even when life was challenging. Those who knew Jana remember her as a quiet, kind and gentle soul.
‘Her daughters were her entire world, and everything she did was for them.’
Greater Manchester Police said: ‘Shortly before 8.30am on Wednesday 10 December 2025, officers were called to Atlantic Street, Altrincham to reports of a body in the water.
‘Emergency services attended and sadly the body of a female has been recovered from the water.
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