An 18-year-old Ottawa woman who drowned near Cobden, Ont., Monday afternoon died saving the life of her twin sister, her mother said Tuesday.

The body of Jessah Paned was found Tuesday afternoon by the OPP's underwater recovery unit.

Remedios Saura said the family was spending the weekend at Logos Land Resort, about 20 kilometres northwest of Renfrew, Ont. Jessah and her sister spent much of Monday on the park's water slides and swimming in the lake, Saura said.

But while the pair were in the lake in the early afternoon, Jessah's sister began to struggle. According to Saura, Jessah helped her sister get to safety before slipping beneath the surface.

"Jessah saved her," Saura said.

The family alerted lifeguards at the resort who searched for Jessah, but called police when they were unsuccessful.

Saura said Jessah had recently told her she was interested in moving to Toronto to study to become a flight attendant.