Benefit Set For Sawyer Warner, Boy Thrown Off Of Apple Valley Waterslide
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Life is slowly getting back to normal for a 9-year-old boy who was thrown off of a water slide platform.
"Something unexpected like that, it's an emotional roller coaster," said aunt Mary Peterson.
Police say 18-year-old Roman Adams threw Sawyer Warner off a 31-foot platform at the Apple Valley Aquatic Center in late July. Sawyer suffered a broken leg and shattered bones in his shoulder and feet.
"He's a big fan of superheroes," said uncle Eric Peterson. "Marvel Comics are one of his favorites,"
Recovering in the hospital, Sawyer never lost his sense of adventure, starring as a superhero in his very own blockbuster.
The fact that he is able to smile and play at all is a miracle, considering the unexpected and unimaginable injuries he suffered this summer.
"The emotional and mental recovery is going to be a long road for him, too," Eric said.
Sawyer was enjoying a day at the water park on July 31, when Adams attacked him unprovoked.
"From a fall from that distance, you know, it involves some in his legs and some in his arms, but also a lot of mental, you know, problems there as well that we're working forward and working through with him," Eric said.
Sawyer is back home and back in school now, but the recovery process is far from over.
"You can have a decent job and to have unexpected expenses with your kids, I think especially you will go at no cost to make sure that they're taken care of and that their well-being is put first," Mary said.
To help out with his immediate and long-term needs, Sawyer's extended family is hosting a benefit on Saturday at Woody's Bar and Grill in Bayport. Many will be sporting their favorite superhero shirts, honoring this little superhero who does not need a cape to prove he is extraordinary.
Prosecutors charged Adams in the attack. Adams, who has cognitive disabilities, told investigators the line to use the slide was taking too long.
Saturday's benefit in Bayport is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and there will be everything from a silent auction and raffles. A GoFundMe page has also been set up in his honor.
