LEXINGTON, KY (Lex 18) – A Tennessee family is counting its blessings after one son’s scary fall at Lake Cumberland this weekend.
17-year-old Christian Beaver remains at UK Hospital with a number of serious injuries after he fell more than a hundred feet in Russell County Sunday.
It all started with a quick pit stop near near Wolf Creek Dam.
Christian’s dad, Dan Beaver, said his son stepped over the guardrail and was looking over the water. Beaver took a picture of his son before things got scary.
"In the blink of an eye he was gone and I didn’t see any evidence of him falling or anything," Beaver said.
In a state of panic, Beaver rushed over the guardrail to see what happened. For what seemed like far too long, he saw or heard no sign of his son.
"We finally heard him, his voice, he was asking god to take away the pain and I knew at that point we were in trouble," He said.
Russell County first responders said Christian fell at least 150 feet, landing at the edge of the water.
They used a boat to get him to land and a helicopter to bring him to UK Hospital in Lexington.
"He was not dead, that was a huge thing," Beaver said. "I was hoping by his movement he wasn’t paralyzed."
Doctors say Christian broke his ribs, back, and tibia, among other bones. He also has a lacerated liver and cuts and bruises all over.
His father hopes to set up a Gofundme page soon to help offset the cost of future surgeries and rehab.
"It’s going to be a long road ahead of him, but he’s here and he’s alive and he’ talking and he’s got a sense of humor."
Beaver says there may even be a lesson to be learned here as well.
"Maybe it’s a little bit of a metaphor for life," He said. "Stay away from the edge just enough where you can still get a good view of life and experience it, but you don’t know the ground you’re standing on."
