Campbell River father recovering from stab wounds after what family says was a random attack
Colin Dube-Wheat is recovering from a terrifying ordeal. The 21-year-old Campbell River father was stabbed in the heart and lung.
The attack happened in the early hours of July 14 in downtown Campbell River.
His cousin, Jen Fyfe, says Dube-Wheat was walking home from a party. He heard cries for help, saw someone seemingly overdosing, and went to help -- and that’s when he was viciously stabbed by a stranger.
“My family was just stabbed going to help somebody, so it is a lot to process,” said Fyfe Monday.
The Good Samaritan was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital – where he had life-saving open-heart surgery. This weekend he returned home to begin what’s expected to be a slow recovery.
“We’re really grateful for the interventions that everybody did to save his life because it could have gone a lot worse,” said Fyfe.
It’s been a year full of tragedy for Dube-Wheat. His younger brother died, and his family's dog was killed in a house fire.
“It’s been really hard,” Fyfe told CTV News Monday. “You know, you don’t want to see young people struggle.”
Dube-Wheat is engaged. He and his fiancé have a two-year-old daughter. Fyfe has set up a GoFundMe page to support the young family -- because her cousin won’t be able to work for several months and his fiancé will have to take time off work to care for their child.
No arrests have been made in the case. Campbell River RCMP say its major crimes unit is investigating the attack. It says the public isn’t in danger. That’s not a perspective shared, however, by Fyfe, who says the stabbing represents a bigger problem -- escalating violent crime.
“Like that person's out there and they randomly stabbed somebody -- like we gotta talk about this,” said Fyfe. “I am totally alarmed -- I don’t feel like downtown Campbell River is a safe place to be.”
Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact the police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A man was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.