Ben Murphy died after a tragic accident at the Bend Whitewater Park. Photo: Bend Parks and Recreation
According to reports, 17-year-old Ben Murphy of Bend, Oregon, died in a tragic river surfing accident at the Bend Whitewater Park.
The park, which features three channels in the Deschutes River, is a popular place for river surfers. Twenty-six pneumatic air bladders were installed into the river bed in 2015, and they are adjusted in real time to create waves of different shapes for surfers of different skill levels.
The Bend Bulletin reported that the teen died after he was trapped underwater for several minutes. Other surfers attempted to rescue him and remove his foot from one of the panels under the water that makes the wave, according to eye-witness reports.
Stetson Talley, who was on the scene when the accident occurred, told The Bend that he was one of the surfers who jumped in to try and rescue Ben.
“It was pretty obvious to me and everyone else there that he was unable to help himself,” said Talley.
Eventually the wave was shut down and Murphy was pulled from the river. CPR was started immediately. “There was nothing we could do and it was a helpless situation,” Talley continued. “It was terrifying.”
Ben’s father, Patrick Murphy, released a public statement on Facebook via his pastor at Journey Church in Bend.
“Ben was underwater for six minutes,” the elder Murphy wrote. “He was not breathing and did not have a pulse when we were able to finally free him and get him to shore. The paramedics were there to meet us and immediately started CPR. Ben was transported to St. Charles where they continued CPR. He was shocked multiple times and did not respond. After one hour the doctor approached Lynda and I and let us know he was gone. They had allowed us to be in the ER with him and we continued to pray. His finger twitched and his heart began to beat faintly.”
With that slight hope, doctors began working feverishly on Ben again. His condition slowly improved, and he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit. Over the next eight hours, his family prayed for his recovery, but sadly, the trauma was too much. His organs began to fail and he passed away.
“He was on oxygen, tons of medication, and was sedated to keep him comfortable,” Ben’s father continued. “We were able to talk to him, pray over him, read to him and share some of the encouraging notes we got from those of you supporting us. We were given an amazing gift of time with Ben to simply be with him. This morning many of his organs showed severe damage from the trauma he experienced. The St. Charles staff went above and beyond in their efforts to save him, but unfortunately he had multiple organ failure and his body simply shut down.”
Bend Whitewater Park has been closed since the accident while officials assess the whitewater park’s bladder and gate system.
“All of us at Bend Park and Recreation District are deeply saddened that a young person lost his life,” the park said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they mourn through this difficult time. May the family be comforted by the thousands of prayers over these past couple days and the road ahead.”
Our sincerest condolences go out to friends, family, and anyone affected by this tragic accident.
