CANMORE – “Positive” and “inspiring.”
That is how Darren Pugh, a 31-year-old man who was living in the Bow Valley, was described after his death following a longboarding accident last week.
“Darren was the ‘poster-boy’ for our organization,” Jennifer Rohloff, Banff Lodging Co. human resources manager wrote in an email. “A loved and respected leader who epitomized our core philosophies – embracing mountain lifestyle and always ready to attack any challenge head-on.”
Known for his upbeat personality, condolences poured through on social media after a post from his former employer acknowledged how Pugh “touched the Caribou family as well as the local community in so many ways.”
“He was perennially positive, restlessly energetic, tremendously resourceful, and an inspiration to everyone around him,” Rohloff wrote.
“Awesome,” “witty,” and “kind” were additional words friends and coworkers used to describe the outdoor enthusiast and U.K. native.
On March 21, Canmore Fire-Rescue responded to an injured male around 5:30 p.m. near 400 Larch Place. Pugh lost control of his longboard when the wheels encountered gravel on the roadway. He was taken to Canmore Hospital then transferred to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary by STARS air ambulance in serious life-threatening condition.
It was confirmed that Pugh died as a result of his injuries over the weekend.
A GoFundMe page was also launched March 26 asking for donations to the STARS air ambulance service as a ‘thank you’ for doing the “best work they could in helping with daz.” More than $1,300 of the $2,000 goal was raised in 17 hours.
- with files from Alana MacLeod
