Tonight, 3 weeks after the tragic drowning of 6-year-old Issac Pipersburgh, we can confirm that the Rio On Pools remain closed.
It's a necessary precaution that the forestry department took in order to avoid another accident because, as we've told you, little Issac jumped into an unseen hole that was concealed beneath the water.
It's a hazard that had to be remedied before the pools could be opened again.
And tonight, we can confirm that the hole is no more. It's been filled up with stones and is now just a very bad memory. I traveled to the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve this morning to shake the hand of the man who did it.
3 weeks ago when we told you the story of the tragic drowning of 6-year-old Issac Pipersburgh. We also introduced you to the man who retrieved him from the watery hole into which he'd jumped.
That's Peter Friesen of Spanish lookout, a man who's no stranger to the Rio On pools and the forest that surrounds them.
Back then he vowed to fill up the hole that took the Pipersburgh's young child. And today with a lot of help he did just that.
Peter Freisen, Engineer
"We prepared to go home, with all my workers that I had, all my sons and the whole of the family. We came out here and we blocked off the water so that we could identify the hole more better and we worked two and a half hours to take stones there and fill it with stones. And now we feel that it's safe there with that hole. It's completely filled with stones. We trust that the water will not take out the stones."
"So the water is kind of flowing over that hole right now where there is no hole anymore and so that place is safe again."
But they didn't bring in any truckloads of stone to do it. Instead they took the stone right from the pool, using its very own borders to heal it.
It's a minor feat of engineering that Peter and the crew used to turn an unseen hazard back into a safe swimming area that families will once again be able to enjoy without fear of being swallowed under unseen depths. Still, eliminating that danger was no easy feat.
Cherisse Halsall:
"There is a remarkable video of you that your wife took where you are entering into the hole. This time there was no rope around you but how were you able to do that this time?"
Peter Freisen, Engineer
"Ok we had blocked off the water so there was less water flowing from the top and I also trusted that the hole was not terribly deep, it was just about six feet deep so I got in there again and I investigated through where I got little Issac out the other day and it just amazed me how small the little hole was where I got him out but I investigated the hole before with any stones."
"The family is a support to the calling that I felt in my heart to do something like this. They supported it with whatever they had and they were her so I feel good that i was able to fill out my calling that was in my heart."
"The forestry people I met at the beginning of the week and the date was today to come out here and they prepared about 25 sacks of sand which was a help and today they used them and they also helped to carry stones so they were a great help as well."
We asked Freisen what he thinks the Pipersburgh's will feel when they learn what he and his team have been able to do here.
Peter Freisen, Engineer
"Well I believe they will be more better that this is safe and that it wouldn't happen to any other family again."
And that's the hope, although we continue to note that another child lost her life the very same weekend that Issac Pipersburgh did.
She was 7-year-old Cerys Mctaggart, a resident of Boise, Idaho who was buried only last Sunday. Her obituary refers to her as quote:
"She was a lovely little girl with a compassionate heart. Always reaching out to help those in need, and no matter where Cerys went, she would make a new friend."
Issac Pipersburgh's funeral will be held tomorrow at 10am in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.
The Rio On Pools are expected to open up now that the hole has been filled.
