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Dressed only in a nappy, three years old Demetrius Jones survived a tumultuous 12 km ride down the Peace River.
Celebrating his third birthday, he drove his bright red miniature, battery powered Chevrolet Silverado truck down the boat ramp, into the Peace River, while the family slept. Demetrius was staying in his Grandmother‘
The truck flipped over, as it was swept along by the current. Demetrius scrambled up on top of the upside down truck and continued to ride it down the swirling river.
Together with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, friends, the local police neighbours and family combed the area.
Anita Neudorf, Demetrius’ grandmother said “We all expected the worst”.
Don Loewen, one of the five men in the boat who found Demetrius, three hours after the boy had gone missing said “We just kept searching down the river seeing all the log jams and keeping our eyes out for any sign of the car or the child. We figured with the current and all, if he had been disappeared about 2 hours, he might well be 12 -15 kilometers downstream".
Demetrius was founded kneeling in the upside-down half-submerged truck. At first the men believed the fair head belonged to an eagle, sitting in some rocks on the edge of the river, until they moved their boat closer. “He wasn't crying or whimpering, or anything".
Jackelynn Passarell, a local constable said “He seemed pretty excited to be dealing with the police. I don’t think he realized the gravity of what had just occurred.” Demetrius was more worried about leaving his truck behind.
Demetrius was chilly and needed treatment for hypothermia at the local hospital, but appeared none the worse for his exciting adventure. He asked when he could go back on his ‘boat’.
“His trucks mean the world to him and I believe that’s what saved him — he wasn’t letting go of the truck for love or for money,” said Mrs. Neudorf.
When the truck was pulled from the river, it was still functioning like clockwork.
More about the author, take a few minutes to check it all out at Win A Resort (http://winaresort.com) . Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation (http://youmesupport.org) providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. A chance to fulfill their dreams at whatever level they chose to.
Feel free to contact Wendy on admin@youmesupport.org
