Close to home, where I have lived for over 13 years, a tragic death of an inebriated teen happened once again. A group of teens came up with a zany idea to drink and then go on top of a warehouse roof to see the city lights-this is what happened next: Delay In Rescue Of Girl The result is a 17 year old girl dying from a tragic accident. Sadly, she had fallen through a skylight that gave in to her weight and dropped five stories. For over two hours her friends refused to call 911, due to their being in an alcoholic state and not wanting to be caught. Forever, the question will be unanswered - would they have saved her life had they called for help sooner? No one will know for certain, ever.
The issue of alcohol and teenagers has been around for as long as I can remember. It still pains you to hear of unnecessary deaths of teens who could have really impacted this world in a positive way, if it were not for some careless behavior that lead them to an early death. I look at the events that occurred for this group of teens and wonder why the heck they were out in the city at midnight in the first place. Their curfew was midnight. I have learned, through friends, the group went up to get a clear view of the city skyline at night. They gained entrance to the roof by someone connected to a person who owned one of the adjacent spaces to the warehouse, where this girl had fallen in. Okay, so now they are on the roof. What next- they decide to walk on large pains of glass? Alcohol certainly blinded them to the risks they were taking. Logic did not come into play. I think the worse part about drugs and alcohol is how they do blind our senses.
I have tried my best so far to instill in my children the need to always calculate the risk/reward ratio in anything they take on in life. If only they don't succumb to peer pressure. I am sure this played into this tragic scenario last weekend. What is the worse thing that can happen for the trade-off of the reward you are aspiring for? Life is risky enough when you are sober and clear headed, add a drug of some sort and how can one accurately gage the risks they are taking? So many unnecessary tragic deaths have occurred in our area in recent years to teenagers. It is painful to hear. It angers me. My kids have not passed through there teenage years fully at this point, so surly I cannot say I have been successful in my ways as of yet. However, I hope they can learn from the teenagers who lost their lives, the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
This is the glass pane the girl fell through. Why did the kids risk walking on this glass skylight, five stories high? Nothing is worth dying for! I cannot imagine how the teenagers that were with this girl who died will ever get over their part in her death. It will forever haunt them. Was the risk worth the reward? Lastly, given they were in a drunken state, they refused to call 911 for help, they did not want to get caught under the influence. They abandoned their friend in her greatest hour of need. Over two hours passed before someone who was not a friend of this girl called 911 for help. They look selfish, negligent, dishonest, and weak. How will they get past who they were for trying to cover up their own mistakes here?
This is a sad and tragic real life story to add to the novel of tragic and unnecessary deaths that occur from teenage drinking. This beautiful girl will never set foot on this earth again. Many will forever morn her loss. Share this story with your pre-teen or teen. It is one more reason not to go out with friends and take on illegal substances for the cheap thrill one can get. It is not worth dying for.
My mother always told me "Nothing good happens after midnight. If you haven't had fun by midnight...then you aren't going to. Just come home."
You know, my mom was right. Bad things usually happen late at night...after midnight.
Kids don't think about anything bad happening... because for most of their lives nothing bad has ever happened. They fail to realize that the reason nothing bad has happened is because their parents were watching out for them...even behind the scenes.
Hopefully others will learn from this tragedy.
Posted by: Don Dodge | April 27, 2007 at 09:56 PM
Don,
your mom was right on. I found out about a private high school in the area that had nine kids leave the school due to their being found drinking. The school making a tough stand like this will surely send the message drinking will not be tolerated.
It would be nice if more schools would take on this zero tolerance policy. It is for the safety of all. Idealy, this will relieve some of the peer pressure that happens in school that leads kids to take on drugs or drinking. The girl that died here, helped her boyfriend recover from the tragic loss of his brother due to reckless driving and drinking. Here is an article of the accident in Deerfield.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/deerfield/news/98869,de-teencrash-101906-s1.article
This accident ocurred during Homecoming in 1999, not so long ago. This tragic event was not enough to stop her from experimenting with drugs and drinking. The consequence was her death, shortly after.
She was a very smart student, who lost her life to a poor decision. It only takes one.
Posted by: Robin | May 01, 2007 at 01:55 PM