A fundraiser for the family of a toddler who died at an Okanagan campground has eclipsed $30,000 as new details emerge about the horrific incident.
Kash Bakker, 3, died Saturday following a freak accident in Okanagan Lake Provincial Park South. The park is adjacent to Highway 97, between Summerland and Peachland.
While initially reported by park officials as a fatal tree fall, Ruveen Stogryn says "tree" could be more accurately described as a log. She is a friend of the family and took part in the same camping trip.
“A tree did not fall down from standing until falling. The tree was a log, it was already down. And something happened and it caused it to shift. And, unfortunately, Kash was there,” she said, explaining the log looked like it had been on the ground for some time before the incident.
“I didn't see the actual incident. My husband was second on the scene. His mom was first on the scene. And no one can even really remember what happened because of the trauma. I was about a block away at the camp playground with my daughter. And then I heard the screaming,” Stogryn said.
Kash was one of four boys who were children to a one-income household with a stay-at-home mother. The family is from Port Coquitlam.
Stogryn says money raised through the GoFundMe will go to pay for funeral expenses and to allow the father to stay at home with the family for as long as possible.
“This is not anything that they can recover from anytime soon,” Stogryn said.
She described Kash, who she met for the first time on the camping trip, as very curious, kind and gentle.
“He would help my daughter put her shoes on — no three-year-old boy does that. He was really inquisitive. Just wanted to be outside… He was so great, such a sweet boy.”
Stogryn says she hopes people consider donating to the GoFundMe .
“I know that it's a big ask to donate sometimes. And maybe people don't want to. but I think anyone with a heart or anyone with any kind of family is affected by this story,” she continued.
“Because we all have siblings, even if you don't have children, you have a sibling. You have someone in your life that you don't want to lose and imagine having them taken away, not even at a moment's notice and your whole life being destroyed.
“This is the only way that we can help them because nothing else will help them — this is literally the only thing I know how to do right now.”
On Monday, B.C. environment minister George Heyman offered his condolences on behalf of the ministry and BC Parks staff.
“Our hearts are with you at this difficult time,” he said.
