9.22.2009

Elijah R Keller


Elijah R Keller

August 6, 1985 - Paradise, California
June 18, 2001 - Crooked River Ranch, Oregon

'I AM FREE'

Elijah R. Keller of Crooked River Ranch died June 18, 2005. He was 15.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday at Terrebonne Pioneer Cemetery.

He was born August 6, 1985 in Paradise, California. He moved with his family to Crooked River Ranch in 1998.

He was a student.

He enjoyed skateboarding, bicycling, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, fishing and almost anything to do with the outdoors. He also enjoyed art.

His survivors include:
Parents, Michael and Patricia of Crooked River Ranch
Sister, Amity Cornell Keller, of Pasadena, Texas.

Donations for funeral expenses may be made to Michael and Patricia Keller, c/o River Rim RV Park/Nadara Lewis, PO Box 841, Crooked River Ranch, OR 97760.

Redmond Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
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Boy dies after fall into gorge

Boy was conscious after the fall and at the time of the rescue

By Tom Peterson and Jason Moore
Published: June 19. 2001 - The Bend Bulletin
CROOKED RIVER RANCH — A 15-year-old Crooked River Ranch boy who fell 18-25 feet Monday afternoon onto a narrow ledge in the Crooked River Gorge died Monday evening from injuries sustained in the fall.

Elijah Keller and two friends were climbing around the rim of the gorge near his home at the River Rim RV Park on Commercial Loop in Crooked River Ranch about 3 p.m. when Keller slid down the cliff and was hit in the head with a rock.

Ryan VanValkenburgh, 15, said he, Keller and Chris Dearing, 15 — friends who often hiked around the gorge rim — had decided to climb down the cliff.

"We told him (Keller) the rocks were loose and he might fall," VanValkenburgh said.

He said Keller attempted to go down the steep incline. He began sliding down the cliff when he lost his footing. He said Keller began picking up speed as he slid but rolled over and landed on a 2-foot-wide ledge, which stopped him from plunging to the bottom of the gorge.

Speaking at the scene under the assumption Keller survived the accident, VanValkenburgh said it was "scary" when his friend slid down the edge. He and Dearing tried to see if Keller could move before getting help.
"He said one of the rocks landed on him," VanValkenburgh said. "He said he was in a lot of pain."

Roughly 90 minutes later, Capt. Brad Rumbarger, emergency medical technician, was able to rappel down the cliff and pull the boy off the ledge.

He was conscious and able to tell rescuers where he hurt, said Patrick Reitz, chief of the Crooked River Ranch Rural Fire Protection District.

After rescue workers pulled the boy to safety, Crooked River fire medics worked on him in an ambulance as the blades of a nearby AirLife helicopter chopped the air.

Keller was loaded into the helicopter and flown to St. Charles Medical Center, where he was initially reported in critical condition, Reitz said in a news release. However, the teen was pronounced dead at St. Charles at 5:57 p.m. as a result of head and internal injuries sustained in the fall, a hospital spokesman said.

Keller had just completed his freshman year of high school. He had attended schools in Redmond and Culver.

4 comments:

  1. I am Ryan VanValkenburgh and those reporters don't know their head from the whole in their ass! they wrote things we did not say and that is not even what happened. I lost my best friend that day who was practically my brother and patrick reitz is a damn pig. Can you believe that piece of crap showed up to the scene with a crew of VOLUNTEER rescue people who did not know what to do in this situation and Reitz LEFT THE SEEN for MORE THAT AN HOUR while he went to go change out of his civilian clothes and pickup and showed back up in his pretty little captain suit and captain truck with the media! let me remind you that at this time he was currently advertising to try and get a new fire station so what better thing to gain publicity that sacrificing Eli's life to go get prettied up and grab the media cameras to capture his "so called heroic attempt" to save his life. I hope reitz burns in hell for all of eternity!! Eli had severe injuries and internal bleeding and let me add the fact that when they FINALLY pulled him up they didn't even strap his head down on the gurney. These pricks could have saved him if they had not waited for let me say this again OVER AN HOUR to even attempt bringing him up the hospital even said they could have saved him. but his precious little rescue scene was much more important to him. some hero huh? you know what i could go on and on about this but what's the point because in the end it's always the same shit they will twist everything you say around and put words in your mouth to make themselves look good and they could give a rats ass about your life!

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  2. Ryan, I am posting this because I think you have a right to say your piece -- but, someday, you may wish to revisit the language on a tribute to your friend --- if so, just hit the trash can.

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  3. I am Chris Dearing and this article is completely wrong!! I spent hours, but before and after the accident, with Eli before he was taken to the hospital, I honestly think that if it was not for the slow response of the fire station then he might still be alive today. I have thought a lot about this since the incident and I have visited his grave every chance I have gotten. Eli was a good person and one of my best friends! I have spent the last 8 years defending my country in his name.

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  4. You need to contact The Bulletin to correct the reporting.

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