My hero is my Aunt Karen, Uncle Don and my cousin Derek because they overcame the tragedy of losing Derek's younger brother Ryan in a camping accident when Ryan was only 5 years old. While the boys were playing at their campground, a 100-year-old tree fell and one of its branches crashed on top of the picnic shelter, killing Ryan. Though it has been many years since Ryan's death, my aunt, uncle and cousin continue to cope with their great loss and honor Ryan's memory through a park built in his name at the campground and by sending messages on balloons to heaven.

1. My Hero
My hero is my Aunt Karen, Uncle Don and my cousin Derek. They are my heroes because they
have been able to overcome the tragedy of losing Ryan, Derek’s younger brother. Derek was 10
years old when this accident happened, Ryan was only 5 years old.
It happened on a normal day like any other I wasn’t there at the campground when the accident
happened; I was with my parents camping at another campground. My mom decided that we
were going to go camping somewhere else, other than RiverValley Campground. When my mom
decided to go to a different campground, she had no idea what was going to happen on the
beautiful sunny day of July 28, 1998.
The day it happened, Ryan and Derek were playing with a group of friends at their campground,
riding their bikes around doing things that little boys do during their summer vacation. They all
decided to stop and relax in the back of the campground where there was a picnic shelter. There
were about 10 boys in all, including Derek and Ryan. They got off of their bikes and went to sit
at a picnic table to relax. While they were talking and playing at the picnic tables one of the boys
notice that the 100 years old tree that was just across from the picnic shelter they all were in, was
starting to fall. He yelled as loud as he could that the tree was falling and for everyone to run!
All of the boys were able to run fast enough to get out of the way of the falling tree……except
for Ryan. Ryan was the smallest boy of the group, and was not as fast as the others. He almost
made it out but one of the branches of the tree fell on top of the picnic shelter roof and made it
fall, crashing on top of Ryan.
Derek ran back to the camper to tell his parents what just happened. They all ran back to the area
of the accident. There were already other people there trying to remove the tree from Ryan.
Some of them had chain-saws and was trying very hard to rescue Ryan from underneath the tree.
Someone called 911 and the firefighters, police, ambulance and a Medical helicopter arrived.
They finally were able to get Ryan from under the Tree. Ryan was taken to the hospital via the
Medical Helicopter. Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t make it to the hospital he died in the helicopter.
That same day my parents received an emergency phone call from my Grandmother informing
them of the horrific news of Ryan. We left the campground that we were at immediately to get to
my aunt and uncle quickly. My Aunt was so upset and crying and crying, it so was sad.
At RiverValley campground where the accident occurred, there is a park built in honor of Ryan.
At the entrance of the park is a podium with a poem written by my Uncle Don, Ryan’s Dad and it
is all about Ryan.
Through the years since the accident, my Aunt Karen, Uncle Don and Derek all seem to cope
with the great lost of Ryan. We still write little messages on balloon’s; such things as, “We Love
you, Ryan”, “We miss you Ryan”, then we let the balloon go and watch them float up to Heaven
to Ryan.
Author: Corey Dutkiewicz