Dear Editor,
It was a normal rainy day on September 3rd of 2020. Two high school friends, now adults and the boys of one of the friends, went to Douglas Falls. They wanted to take pictures from the top of the falls not knowing that by the end of the day one of them would not be there.
While at the top of the falls one friend slipped and fell into the water. I am not sure how tall the falls are but it was enough to have a large impact. The friend with the two boys hurried down and into the water to hold up the other person. Someone else was also there and helped up the friend so EMS could be called.
This is a time of events that the mother (me) went through.
I got a call through Facebook messenger at 1:12 pm. It was my daughter’s friend telling me about the accident and at the time the only injury known was a broken arm.
At about 1:31 pm I called her biological dad and his wife to tell them what had happened.
I don’t remember the time but I called our daughter’s friend. I spoke to the doctor during this call. When our daughter arrived, she had coded and they had worked on her for 45 minutes but they got her back. She was stable at the time of the call and I explained I was leaving my house to head to the hospital. I live in Cross Junciton, VA.
At about 2:59pm, I got a call from the hospital our daughter had coded and they had been working on her again for 45 minutes or more. They needed permission to stop life saving measures. Of course, I started crying. I told the doctor I needed to talk to her dad and step dad. So I called them. We all agreed they could stop life saving measures.
At 3:14pm and told them they could stop life saving measures. At 31 years, 9 months and 2 days our daughter was gone.
The last year has been full of twists and turns. My son in Colorado met people who tried to help EMS get my daughter to the squad. These people mentioned there have been two more falls since that time. I am not sure of the outcome. I have found out though there are no signs about the dangers climbing to the top of falls. I am writing to request that the Forestry Service and the City work together to put up signs on the gate and near the falls about the dangers. No family should have to go through the events I went through that day. Please help by reaching out to individuals who can make this happen.
Tammy L Bollman
(Mother of Monique Dawn Fredman)