Cape Breton teen in hospital after falling nearly 40 feet over cliff in Glace Bay
The rugged beauty of Cape Breton's coastline has been attracting people to the water's edge for years, but getting too close has dangerous consequences.
“From where I live, I’ve seen too many times over the years, I can look right over the water and see the choppers, the search boats out there looking for people that got too close to these cliffs. Please people, stay away from the edge of these cliffs. you don't know how dangerous they are,” urged Billy Cameron, who lives near cliffs in Glace Bay, N.S.
It's a warning Cameron is giving to others, after his 16-year-old son fell nearly 40 feet to the shoreline below.
The teen, who is also named Billy, is now in a Halifax hospital with serious injuries.
“He had a rough night last night according to my wife who is up there with him in Halifax. He was in a lot of pain last night. He broke both his feet. There's a rod placed in his spine,” said Cameron.
Glace Bay Fire Chief John Chant says the call came in around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
“From my understanding, he was there a substantial amount of time, anywhere from four to six hours,” said Chant.
Chant says special equipment and crews were required to rescue the teen and bring him back to solid ground.
“They formulated a plan; with the help of ropes and different equipment, they were able to repel down, package the victim into a basket and bring him up,” he said.
Now, the community is coming together to support the family however they can.
Glace Bay's Miner’s Village Restaurant has donated two tickets to attend a concert of the Men of the Deeps, as well as a supper for two. Tickets are also being sold for half-a-dozen lobsters.
The money from the sales will be used to assist the family, with a long road of recovery ahead.
“It’s an unexpected trip to Halifax. Billy could be there for several months. We don't know. It's pretty devastating,” said Miranda MacAulay, the fundraiser's organizer.
Cameron says he's thankful for the support, but there's one woman in particular that he's still searching for. The woman who found his son's cellphone and heard him hollering below.
“I would love for the lady that found him to get in touch with me because I don’t know who you are. I’m so appreciative of that lady because we would have never found him,” he said
For anyone interested, tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the Miner's Village Restaurant or by an email-transfer to Mirzz_17@hotmail.com with the password "Billy."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.