A Sooke family is rallying support after their friend Dwight Reid died while trying to rescue his son.
The 60-year-old Esquimalt man died in June in a tragic accident during a camping trip. When two of his sons were fishing off the shore and a bobber was mistakenly lost in the water, one of the boys jumped in to get it. When he realized he'd swam out too far and found himself caught in the current, he panicked and Reid jumped in to save him. His son was saved, but in the process, Reid drowned.
"He died like a hero protecting his son," said Pauline Mallory, who set up a GoFundMe page in support of Reid's family. Mallory and her husband first came to know Reid working in the concrete business in the early '90s.
"Dwight has been in our lives since our kids were born, so we not only have a working relationship, we have a family relationship with him and his wife and kids," she said. She explained that Dwight was the sole provider of his family, as his wife Joan was mostly a stay-at-home mom.
With a huge financial burden and little income to rely on, Mallory and her family stepped in.
"Dwight was the kind of person that if anybody needed his help, he'd be right there and help them. Whatever he had going on in his life, he would drop everything to help whoever needed it, and that was one of the remarkable things about him."
Before his death, Reid worked with the Mallory family at their concrete business. Most of his days were spent with his family, camping and fishing were regular activities, along with the occasional day of kayaking, boating or riding his motorcycle with his wife.
"All he's ever wanted to do was have a big family, and so it was nice to see him enjoy being able to hang with them and go to the beach and do all the things that you do with your family."
Mallory says the family has been doing well, but it has been a struggle.
"I think they're faring pretty good. I mean, it's been pretty emotional for all of us," she said.
So far, 117 people have donated to Mallory's GoFundMe, and they've been able to raise over $15,000 for the family since starting the campaign on June 22.
"It's overwhelming actually. It's pretty nice to see that it's coming from different places. We appreciate everything that's come in, whether it's small or big," she said.
Mallory says she's tried to personally thank everyone who has contributed. But the GoFundMe isn't there only way of showing support. Mallory also hopes to assemble a small team of volunteers to complete some work on the front of the Reid family's house.
"They're a great family, and I know it's a big struggle for Joan right now. He was just trying to do his best to save his son," said Mallory.
Mallory's GoFundMe page can be found at gofundme.com/f/support-for-dwight-reids-family.
