Widow of West Vancouver man who drowned trying to save dog describes desperate struggle in the water
From the moment Keen Lau met his neighbour's dog Loki, the two were inseparable.
“Keen actually offered, 'I go hiking every day, so I can take Loki for a walk.' And that was about three and a half years ago” said his widow Lisa Park.
Loki’s constant companionship helped Lau and Park get through the pain of two miscarriages.
“We didn’t think that Loki is a dog, it’s a son. Our son. So we actually took Loki everywhere,” she said.
On May 19, Lau and Park were walking Loki on a trail near Cypress Creek in West Vancouver when the golden labrador was swept away in the water. Park ran downstream and found Loki struggling to get out of the creek.
“I tried to actually pull Loki out first, but it was too hard,” Park said. “I gave him a stick and said, 'Loki, you have to try. And we have to work together. Please, try your best. ' And I remember his eyes. He was staring and me and I was staring at him. And I tried my best, but he couldn’t because the rock was slippery.”
It was then Lau jumped in the creek to try to hoist Loki out of the water.
“Keen was trying everything to push Loki out. But he couldn’t. And then later he got tired and he asked me, 'Lisa, I need your help,'" Park recalls. "So he came to me and he grabbed by wrist, and I tried to pull him up so hard, I remember that day. I was lying down on the rock and trying to pull him up so hard. But I couldn’t.”
Lau and Loki were both swept away. Darkness prevented a thorough search, so the following morning Park and other family members went looking for them.
“I kept calling, 'Keen, Loki, where are you? Please, where are you?'” said Park. “And then we found Loki’s body under the water, it wasn’t too far from where it happened.
Minutes later, Lau’s brother found the 45-year-old’s body.
“Of course I feel guilty that I couldn’t save him,” said Park, wiping away tears. But she knows she could never have stopped her husband from jumping in that creek.
“Keen would jump in the water for anyone or any dog. That’s Keen,” she said. “Keen, he’s really brave and he has huge compassion for animals and people.”
Keen Lau drowned trying to save beloved dog Loki after the pup was swept away in a West Vancouver creek. (Photo submitted by Lisa Park)
Lau ran for West Vancouver city council last fall, and was close friends with Mayor Mark Sager, who is spearheading a campaign to name a new outdoor fitness park at Ambleside Beach after Lau.
“Keen fitness park, this is perfect,” said Park. “It’s perfect to honour Keen, his name and legacy.”
His wife, who’s a teacher in Burnaby, will honour Lau’s legacy by continuing to champion causes he believed in.
“He was giving back to the community, he was doing a lot of things for the community. So I want to continue his work. I want to volunteer for the community,” she said.
But she knows the road ahead will be difficult without the man she married just a few months ago, and planned to spend the rest of her life with.
“I just miss him a lot of course,” said Park. “Every day he planted seeds of love in everyone’s heart.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Man arrested after allegedly caught trespassing at Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Toronto police say a man has been taken into custody after he was allegedly caught trespassing at Drake's mansion in Bridle Path Saturday afternoon.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.