They were not swimming in the creek. They were not rough-housing on the bridge.They were just being boys riding their bikes across the bridge to get from point A to point B.They were on their way to stop at a local small town gas station to buy a Hershey bar, then to go on to the other boy's house to play his video game.
My son beat his best friend to the bridge, 1/4 of a mile from home and was sitting on his bike tossing something like a coin and doing his best "bogey type attitude" saying..."What took you so long? I've been waiting an hour for you!"
That's when he dropped what he had and it fell over the bridge into the water. He then rode his bike to the end of the bridge and jumped off to run down the rocks to go in after it His friend yelled for him to stop and not to go in, but he knew my son was going in no matter what, so he quickly followed after him to try and stop him.
My son just did not realize that 1 foot off the rocks was the drop-off. His friend went in after him trying to pull him out. He did everything he could trying to pull my son from the water, including nearly drowning as well. He went under several times then managed to grab some weeds and pull himself to the bank and climbed out and ran for help.
He then ran back to the water with a woman running after him and tried to go in again. She screamed for him to get out of the water. He then got back on his bike and rode downstream hoping to see my son hanging on to a limb or anything waiting for rescue.
That's where he ran into some other kids playing in standing water that had come up over the bank into the field, who ran to him and asked what happened. He told them and they began to look and call out to him hoping to find him.
There were NOT 4 or 5 kids playing on the bridge, or swimming in the creek, or tossing stuff in the water and diving for it.
There were 2 boys......
Crossing a bridge on their bikes and an impulsive act by a beautiful strong-willed little boy ended tragically.
My son's best friend loved him and risked his own life so they could have many more fun times ahead.
(This version of events is according to Bobby's frriend, who was with him at the time of occurance) |
