CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Hundreds of mourners met on Saturday in Coral Springs to honor Cameron Isaiah Ruwe, a senior at Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School who drowned on Sept. 13 during a family trip.
The tragedy in the Florida Keys was just weeks before Cameron, an aspiring firefighter who ran track and field for the private school in Southwest Ranches, was set to celebrate his 18th birthday.
“I miss him a lot and now that he passed away, I am still going to pray over him,” Cameron’s younger sister said.
Chris Ruwe, Cameron’s father, and Katherine Zaensi, Cameron’s grieving stepmother, were also among the family and friends who met on Friday night at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home and on Saturday afternoon at the Church by The Glades in Coral Springs.
“My experiences have taught me that family isn’t just about blood, it’s about love, sacrifice, and the people who truly show up for you,” Cameron wrote in an essay for school, according to Zaensi, who read the essay during the service.
Zensi described Cameron as her best friend.
“From the moment I met Cam, he was glued to my hip,” Zaensi said. “I used to call him my shadow because if he wasn’t right over my shoulder, he was on the phone with me.”
Nick Ferreiro said Cameron had shown the qualities of a hero and had “a willingness to put others before himself.”
Cameron’s friend, identified as Todd, said, “Cameron, my brother, my best friend. You were remarkable and radiant.”
Cameron died at the Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon after going underwater while diving off a hookah rig near Grassy Key.
The U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office were among the agencies that responded to the emergency.
Cameron’s funeral service was set to follow internment at 3 p.m., on Saturday, at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, at 2401 Davie Road, in Fort Lauderdale.
Complete coverage
- Plantation teen mourned after Keys diving accident: ‘He changed my life’
- Plantation teen dies in Florida Keys dive incident
Local 10 News Digital Journalist Andrea Torres contributed to this report.
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