The mother of a critically injured skateboarder can’t thank Kiama locals enough for stopping and helping her son stay alive.
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Jarrod Whitehead, 18, from Horsley was airlifted to St George hospital and remains in a critical but stable condition. He was seen riding without a helmet down the steep Bonaira Street around 6:40pm Sunday with his friends following in a vehicle, before clipping an edge then hitting the ground head first and skidding about 20 meters.
His mother Belinda said all she wants to do is cry, while the friends who were with him were also very distraught.
Regina Danzey was in Bonaira Reserve with her son and watched the “random horror” unfold, before running to the victim’s aid.
“It was brilliant to see so many members of the community join together to try and help the poor boy,” she said. “There wasn’t a person that didn’t stop and say is there anything we can do?’.”
There are no laws making it mandatory to wear helmets whilst on a skateboard. In the Kiama local government area “pedal cycle crashes” (accidents involving skateboards, bicycles and foot scooters) accounted for 7.2 per cent of accidents between 2009 and 2013.
General Manager of Kiama Municipal Council Michael Forsyth said it was a tragic accident and wished the teen a full recovery with condolences to his family. He also urged other riders to consider safety and wear full protective gear.
Meantime an outpouring of community well-wishers has erupted on the Illawarra Mercury Facebook page after the initial story was uploaded, dozens sending their love and hopes of a speedy recovery for the teen.