Melbourne teen made tragic Facebook farewell

A Melbourne teenager who died yesterday after being punched in the head posted his final thoughts on Facebook, just hours before he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Cameron Lowe, 17, wrote a series of haunting messages on the social networking site about his soreness and confusion following the confrontation with up to 20 youths near the Hungry Jack’s store in Pakenham at midnight on Saturday.

An argument had broken out before Cameron was punched in the head, causing him to hit his head on the road when he fell.

An hour after the attack, Cameron updated his Facebook status, asking friends for a hug with the message: "I'm sore :("

Minutes later he wrote: ‘‘Dunno what happened but my jaw hurts ... all I wanna do is cry.’’

‘‘Wtf I must be drunk,’’ he posted at 2.01am. ‘‘All I know is my head hurts.’’

His final post, at 2.12am, read: "Sore :’("

Cameron was discovered in his bed not breathing about 13 hours after the punch. He was taken to The Alfred hospital but died about 1.30pm yesterday.

The teenager was remembered yesterday as a carefree boy who loved video games and silly jokes.

His friends turned to Facebook to pay tribute to the teenager, with more than 1700 people joining a page set up to remember him.

‘‘Cameron , work was so wrong when I walked in an you weren’t there to insult me :(,’’ wrote a colleague, Casey Boyce.

Another friend, Chantelle Bryant, wrote: ‘‘cameron lowe, so full of happiness and joy. may you continue living your life above us. the whole crew at hungry jacks are wearing black tape on our arms for you.’’

Friends and colleagues last night gathered at the Hungry Jack’s outlet on the Princes Highway where Cameron worked to pay their respects, fighting back tears as they served customers.

Assistant manager Casey Boyce said Cameron was a popular staff member who had worked there for about 18 months.

She said Cameron loved video games and telling jokes. "They were his things," she said.

"He was a good kid. He always had some lame joke that he would tell. He always had a smile on his face. He was a happy-go-lucky guy who never upset anyone. He had a lot of mates."

Ms Boyce said Cameron’s older brother, who also worked at the restaurant, had visited yesterday afternoon to see friends at the restaurant.

"I saw him and lost it. Everyone here is very close … they’re all like family. It’s just so sad,’’ she said.

Police said Cameron had been with family and friends at the Hungry Jack’s outlet on Saturday night when the group was approached by the gang of youths.

A 17-year-old boy who handed himself in to police yesterday was questioned for several hours before being released without charge.

Paramedics who went to the family home yesterday said the boy went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated.

"Soon after the use of oxygen and cardiac compressions, the pulse returned,’’ paramedic Kerryn Wratt said.

"Then intensive-care paramedics gave him some drugs that stopped his breathing so that we could take over breathing for him, in an induced coma.’’

Police said their investigations were continuing.


Source: stuff.co.nz

Posted in: News