HomeMy WebLinkAboutLettersLAKE ELSINORE: Man breaks neck jumping
into pool, rescued by teen
FRANK BELLINO /STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Shawn Campbell, 39, of Lake Elsinore, broke his neck Sunday in his apartment
complex's swimming pool. Alex Garcia, 13, got him to the shallow end of the
pool, saving Campbell's life.
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BY LAURIE LUCAS
Ilucas @pe.com
Published: 29 June 2012 12:55 PM
It's hard for Shawn Campbell to remember how he broke his neck in his
apartment complex swimming pool just two days shy of his 39th birthday.
But one thing he's sure of: he owes his life to the boy who saved him, 13- year -old
Alex Garcia.
Campbell broke two cervical vertebrae when he jumped into the pool clutching
his son's 4 -foot body board to his chest on Sunday, June 24. The much smaller,
slender Alex was able to gently move the 6- foot -1, 195 pound Campbell to the
shallow end and keep him from drowning.
"I took his hand and got him to the side," said the shy, soft - spoken Alex.
"He could see I was struggling," Campbell said. "But he dragged me over to the
steps of the pool. If he hadn't been there, I would have died in front of my boys."
Inland Valley Medical Center discharged Campbell on Thursday, when he
reunited with his family and rescuer. Campbell, who is wear a neck brace and
walking with a cane, faces six months of rehabilitation.
Campbell squarely blames himself for what happened.
"My stupidity," Campbell said. "I don't expect pity."
At the Sierra Vista apartment complex in Lake Elsinore where the family lives,
signs forbid jumping and diving into the water, and the lease bans body boards in
the pool, he said.
"I wanted to show off. I said I was performing a stunt."
While his wife worked, Campbell took their three sons to the pool. Their neighbor
Alex joined the group.
Although how the trick went haywire is still a muddle to him, Campbell has since
seen the accident on a video recording from the complex's poolside camera.
When he jumped in the 5 -foot deep pool, the board smacked the water at a 45-
degree angle, flew up and slammed into his neck, knocking it backwards.
"I was temporarily paralyzed and in shock," Campbell recalls. "I couldn't move my
body and I was swallowing water."
Campbell heard his 6- year -old son, Dante, screaming from the spa. The oldest,
Dominic, 8, was in the pool with Alex. The youngest, Donovan, 5 months old, sat
in his stroller.
Campbell yelled, "Owwwww."
At that point, Alex rushed over, pulled Campbell by the hand and sent Dominic
home to get assistance. The boy quickly returned with several adults who called
911 and helped Campbell out of the pool.
"They walked me over to a bench and I started to get feeling back," Campbell
said. "When the paramedics came, I thought I'd broken my wrist and dislocated
my shoulder. I didn't know I'd broken my neck."
Early Monday morning, doctors performed emergency surgery, fusing the two
broken vertebrae.
"They told me if I'd broken the ones above them I might be paralyzed," Campbell
said during an interview Friday. He was still wearing his hospital gown, slippers
and pajamas and complaining of severe pain from nerve damage. "Sometimes it
feels as if my fingers are on fire."
The front of his neck bears a 5 -inch scar from the incision. He'll wear the brace
for up to eight weeks.
"I'm very lucky. Someone was watching out for me," he said.
The family's luck has been running on empty. They lost their home in Valencia
after Campbell was laid off from managing a furniture store. This past October
they moved into the three - bedroom apartment in Lake Elsinore with Campbell's
relative, Rose Marinelli, 67, who has lost her job as an aerospace technician.
Campbell's wife, Ashly Matthews, 27, works a caregiver. Campbell and his
mother watch the children, who love to play with Alex and some of his five
siblings.
"I think I was put there for a reason," Alex said of last Sunday's accident. "I feel
overwhelmed."
07/16/2012 MON 16:04 FAX 951 301 3605 Canine Support Teams
HEADQUARTERS
Physical Address
26500 Scott Road
Menifee, CA 92584
(951) 301 -3625 Voice
(951) 301 -3605 Fax
Mailing Address
P.U. Box 891767
"Temecula, Ca. 92589 -1767
(9,51)301 -3625 Voice
(951) 301 -3605 Fax
www.hq @caninesupportteams.org
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WOUNDED
VETERANS
Program
Prison
a
California Institution for
Women
Non -Profit Tax ID
#33- 0434821
Canine Support Teams, Inc.
Provider of Assistance Dogs
July 16, 2012
Lake Elsinore
Accounts Payable
City of Lake Elsinore
130 S. Main Street
Lake Elsinore, Ca. 92530 -4109
Dear James,
Canine Support Teams, Inc. is happy to receive the awarding of
Community funds from City of Lake Elsinore for the amount of
$5,000.
0002/002
We spoke with Mayor Tisdale today and we plan on receiving the
award at your next Tuesday City Council Meeting July 24th at
7:00 p.m.
Attending on Tuesday will be Bruce Cripe our CEO, Marine
Veteran Mr. Garrett Jones, who is the recipient of the $5,000.
If you have any questions please feel free to call me at (909) 301-
3625 or my cell (95 1) 746 -8677.
Rosie Girardot
Office Manager /Assistant to CEO
G
Providing the g('fl of independence & dove... one (log al a time a
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Virginia Bloom
From: Brian Tisdale
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 10:43 AM
To: Virginia Bloom
Subject: FW: You're Invited
J daa Ji6da&
.Mason
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959 -44C -7495
From: Canine Support Teams Inc. [shannon @caninesupportteams.org]
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 4:35 PM
To: Brian Tisdale
Subject: You're Invited
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
Canine Support Teams, Inc.
Provider of Assistance Dogs
Join Us at the
City Of Lake Elsinore
130 S. Main Street
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 -4109
Hello CST Family,
We invite you to join us on Tuesday July 24, 2012 at 7:OOpm. The City of
Lake Elsinore will be presenting a $5,000 check to one of our Wounded
Veterans, Garrett Jones.
Garrett is a retired Marine who was injured in combat and the result was
having his left leg, below the knee, amputated. Thanks to the City of Lake
Elsinore, Garrett is able to attend our July 2012 Team Training and is
currently training with his Service Dog. His Service Dog will help him with
stability, retrieval, bracing, be a buffer in public, and many other life
changing tasks.
We would be grateful if some of our local CST Family members could attend
this event to help us show our thanks. The City Council Meeting starts at
7:OOpm but I recommend you arrive a few minutes early. I listed the address
7/19/2012
Page 1 of 2
below. If you can attend, please let me know and I will add you to the list.
City A Lake Elsinore
130 S. Main Street
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 -4109
Map:
http: / /www. take- etsinore.org /index.aspx ?page =431
Sincerely,
Shannon Borja
Client Care Manager
Canine Support Teams Inc.
Shannon@CanineSupportTeams.org
Phone: 951 - 301 -3625
Fax: 951 - 301 -3605
Use this area to provide your contacts information about your
restaurant.
Forward this email
This email was sent to btisdale @lake - elsinore.org by shannon @caninesupportteams.oLg
Update Profile /Email Address I Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribeT" I Privacy Policy.
Canine Support Teams Inc. I PO Box 891767 1 Temecula I CA 192589
7/19/2012
Page 2 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Virginia Bloom
From: Tom Evans
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 9:17 AM
To: Brian Tisdale
Cc: Virginia Bloom; Shelley Kennedy -Smith
Subject: RE: LEPD Graffiti arrests. (OK to release booking photos)
done
From: Brian Tisdale
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 8:33 AM
To: Tom Evans
Subject: RE: LEPD Graffiti arrests. (OK to release booking photos)
Add them to the list. It shows the public that the council is supporting this.
53, iaa Jisda&
✓ f alp"
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951 -440 -7495
From: Tom Evans
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 2:45 PM
To: Brian Tisdale
Subject: FW: LEPD Graffiti arrests. (OK to release booking photos)
Mayor, what do you think of having this team come to the 7/24 council meeting to reinforce their good
efforts and results? I know we have 5 presentations that night but very light on business. Tom
From: Cloutier, Marc [ mailto :mcloutie @riversidesheriff.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 2:29 PM
To: Anne, Daniel; Ybarra, Daniel; Adams, James; MIB Requests; PIO; Kennedy- Smith, Shelley; Tom
Evans; Loeffler, Chad; Cardoza, David; Sanches, David; Kaiser, John; Chaffin, Kenneth; Chavez, Patrick;
Giannakakos, Peter; Nava, Raymond; Garcia, Ricardo; Pauling, Todd; Hoxmeier, Tony
Subject: LEPD Graffiti arrests. (OK to release booking photos)
Date /Time Written:
Type of Incident:
Date /Time of Incident
Location of Incident:
Reporting Officer:
File Number:
7/18/2012
City of Lake Elsinore
Police Department
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday July 17, 2012 / 1330 hours
Graffiti Arrest
Tuesday, July 17, 2012 / 0930 hours
14000 block Cobblestone Ln. Lake Elsinore
Sergeant Marc Cloutier, 951- 245 -3300
L121990029
Page 2 of 2
On Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at approximately 0930 hours, Officers from the Lake Elsinore Police
Department served a search warrant in the 14000 block of Cobblestone Lane, in the city of Lake
Elsinore. The warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing investigation into the destructive activities of
one of the city's most active criminal graffiti groups.
During the service of the warrant, Gilbert Rocha, age 19 of Lake Elsinore, and Gabriel Orellana, age 18,
also of Lake Elsinore, were found to be in possession of numerous items linking both men directly to
several dozen documented acts of vandalism. The damages caused by these actions are estimated at
nearly $9,000.
Both mere were arrested for committing felony vandalism. Both men are facing additional charges for
participating in a criminal street gang, and possession of vandalism tools. Both Rocha and Orellana
were booked into the men's jail in Temecula.
The Police Department's Special Enforcement Team will continue to aggressively pursue any persons
who willfully damage or deface the property of another. Several key pieces of evidence were located
that will further this investigation as well as several other similar ongoing investigations.
The police department encourages parents to pay close attention to indicators that their child may be
involved in criminal acts of vandalism. Common indicators include paint stains on their child's index
fingers, angular colorful block writings on their children's walls, notebooks, or posters, generally
accompanied by nicknames. Other indicators include unexplained permanent markers, assorted spray
can tip nozzles (removed from any specific can of paint), or carbide metal tipped items commonly used
to scratch glass and metal surfaces.
Lake Elsinore Police Department is dedicated to the eradication of graffiti within the City of Lake
Elsinore and would like to advise all residents it will aggressively work to identify, arrest and prosecute
suspects of graffiti vandalism to the fullest extent of the law. Furthermore the City of Lake Elsinore will
aggressively seek to recover any and all costs incurred for the removal of graffiti from those convicted.
The Lake Elsinore Police Department asks any person who witnesses a graffiti act in progress, not to
confront the criminal, simply call 911 for in progress acts. To report past acts of graffiti vandalism call
sheriff's Dispatch non - emergency number (951) 776 -1099. To make a request for graffiti removal call
the city's Graffiti Hotline (951) 674 -2701 or you may submit the request online at www.lake-
elsinore.org
This investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Lake
Elsinore Police Department at (951) 245 -3300. Or (951) 776 -1099 after regular business hours
7/18/2012
CITY OF
LADE LSIROKE
L
-_�1- DREAM EXTREME
September 26, 2012
Araceli Garcia
15177 Lincoln Street, Apt. J2
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
RE: City Council Meeting of July 24, 2012
Dear Ms. Garcia:
Thank you for attending the Mayor's State of the City address on September 14,
2012. It was a pleasure to finally meet you in person. As promised, enclosed
please find a CD of the City Council meeting of July 24, 2012. Once the State of
the City CD is ready, I will forward to you.
Please do not hesitate to give me a call should you have any questions or need
any further information.
Sincerely,
Virginia loo
City Cler
Enc:
vjb
951.674.3124
130 S. MAIN STREET
LAKE ELSINORE. CA 92530
WWW.LAKE- ELSINORE.ORG