A typical Saturday of fun on the Puntledge River went horribly wrong for Cameron Thompson on July 3.

The young man who grew up in the Valley was out swimming with friends, just downstream from Condensory Bridge. He dove off the rocks, about eight feet above the water, went in, and didnB次元官网网址檛 come out.

B次元官网网址淚 think he just misjudged his dive,B次元官网网址� said ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 aunt, Brenda Payne. B次元官网网址淚t looks deep enough to dive from that spot. I think he just misjudged the angle of his dive. This was not a deep dive. He was diving for a swim, but misjudged.B次元官网网址�

Payne, who was not present at the time, said when ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 friends realized he was in danger, they quickly went into first aid response mode.

B次元官网网址淣obody saw the actual impact, but from where they were sitting, they could see he was laying in the water, not able to moveB次元官网网址� so they jumped in, pulled him out, and saved him from drowning.B次元官网网址�

Kianda Jacobsen, a friend of ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 who recently earned a diploma as a health care aide, was one of those who tended to Thompson until paramedics arrived.

B次元官网网址淭here was about 10 of us on scene at the time that did a little bit of everything,B次元官网网址� said Jacobsen. B次元官网网址淚t was very scary - it happened so fast. He dove into water and definitely thought it was deeper than it was. It was just too shallow where he hit. My boyfriend, Dylan, jumped into the water and grabbed Cameron out of the water. Another one of our friends, Rob, helped get Cameron onto the ledge, and then I was called over to give chest compressions, but he was not needing CPR at all, so that was a good sign. I stayed by his side just taking his pulse, checking his breathing, making sure he was comfortable, and my girlfriend Tara supported the neck so we could keep him as still as possible, and another guy down on his legs. Everybody definitely did their part that night to keep Cam as comfortable and as safe as we could. It was definitely very startling.B次元官网网址�

Thompson broke his neck in two places, with severe trauma to his spinal cord. He was transported to Vancouver where he remains, with his mom, Christina, by his side. He is paralyzed from the chest down and is intubated.

ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 friends who were with him at the time found ChristinaB次元官网网址檚 contact info on social media and reached out to advise her of the incident.

B次元官网网址淐hristina was actually out camping at Muchalat Lake at the time, but they got a hold of her dad and CameronB次元官网网址檚 brother Brennan, at their home in Gold River,B次元官网网址� said Payne. B次元官网网址淪o those two drove out to Muchalat Lake and grabbed her and she went straight to Vancouver. She got about five minutes with Cameron before they intubated him, so to this point, she really hasnB次元官网网址檛 been able to get much information.B次元官网网址�

Payne said this incident is an example of how quickly things can go wrong when dealing with a wild river, and said parents should make sure their children are aware of the inherent dangers.

B次元官网网址淗onestly, this was just an honest mistake, an honest accident,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hings like this can happen so quickly. If you want to know how to keep your children safe in the river, my advice is to prepare them for the eventuality of an accident, because at some point, if you play in the river, you are either going to be around an accident, or be in one. It is so important to stay calm and react in a way that is life-saving.B次元官网网址�

Payne said the family appreciated that ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 friends refrained from posting anything to social media.

B次元官网网址淭hese kids, they really felt it was a family story to tell, so they just tucked in and waited until we found them, out of respect for the family,B次元官网网址� said Payne. B次元官网网址淭his is a really cool love story. These kids were so respectful of the familyB次元官网网址� they feel very devastated that they couldnB次元官网网址檛 do more for Cameron, but they saved his lifeB次元官网网址� they did everything exactly right.B次元官网网址�

PayneB次元官网网址檚 initial update explained that B次元官网网址渢he injuries to his spinal cord are extensive, leaving Cameron paralyzed with a long road of healing ahead of him.B次元官网网址�

He remains in the Intensive Care Unit in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淗e is in the ICU for at least four more days, and then they will switch him to the spinal injury recovery ward, and from there we will be on a new plan,B次元官网网址� said Payne.

Payne and Sarah Caruso in the process of setting up a trust fund to accept donations to help toward rehabilitation costs for the Thompson family. For more information on that, and to get the latest updates on ThompsonB次元官网网址檚 condition, they have set up a Facebook page at

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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