VANCOUVER -- A Chilliwack, B.C. family is coming to grips with the sudden loss of their teenage daughter.
Early on Thanksgiving Sunday, Dan and Laura Kingma received a knock on the door from police, informing them that their 18-year-old daughter, Ruby, had died following a horrific crash.
“Disbelief and shock. It was hard to accept,” said Dan Kingma. “That’s a tragic way to end a young life.”
Ruby and 17-year-old Rachel Plowman were passengers in the vehicle, according to the Kingmas, and both of them were killed.
The driver, a 21-year-old man, survived and was airlifted to hospital in critical condition.
The vehicle went over an embankment and rolled into the Fraser River late Saturday night. When emergency crews rushed to Ballam Road, in a rural part of the city, none of the first responders had the proper diving equipment but did not hesitate to jump into the water.
“They went immediately into action and were doing everything they could to get the young people out of the vehicle and to do everything they could to save those young people's lives,” said Sgt. Krista Vrylok with the Chilliwack RCMP Sunday.
Dan said he learned that at least two police officers went into the chilly water.
“I’d like to thank them for their sacrifice and bravery and for doing their best under extremely difficult circumstances, given that it was approximately midnight, dark and cold,” he said.
The family knows of a few search and rescue volunteers who were also on scene and one of them conducted CPR on Ruby for about an hour.
“They made a desperate attempt to save her life and I’d really like to thank them for their hard work and efforts,” he said.
Laura said it gives the family comfort knowing that Ruby was surrounded by those who cared about her.
“I think there were over 50 people surrounding her. And I think she probably knew at least a dozen of those people, and they were tucking her in,” she said.
Ruby was adopted from an orphanage in Liberia.
Dan and Laura originally thought they would adopt one child from the war-torn country, but when they found out he had a sister in another orphanage, they made every effort to bring Ruby home as well.
It took two years, and Ruby's adoption was completed when she was six years old.
Older sister Beth said she still remembers the day Ruby joined the family.
“I cried. I was so excited, all my siblings were so excited. We had been waiting for that day for so long,” she said.
Beth describes Ruby as someone who was always cheerful and caring.
“She was really funny. She was so loving and strong and she was always a huge help to my mom. She would just be there to give support. And her smile, it could light up the whole room,” she said.
Laura said despite the struggles Ruby faced at a young age in Africa, she overcame them because of her strong character.
She said her daughter will be deeply missed.
“We were always rooting for her,” Laura said. “She is loved and always will be.”
