Preteen On E-Bike Gets Helping Helmet From Deputies In South OC

DANA POINT, CA — When south Orange County mom Heather M. received a call from the Orange County Sheriff's Department notifying her that her son, Gavin, had been injured while riding his e-bike, she immediately thought the worst.

Heather got the call at around 6:45 p.m. Monday, and when she arrived to the site of the incident in Dana Woods, she saw four police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck.

"[That was] the scariest moment of my life," Heather told Patch. "I couldn't see my son yet as he was blocked by an emergency vehicle."

But as Heather got closer to the scene, she saw her 12-year-old son looking "pretty banged up," but sitting upright and smiling.

Orange County firefighters assured Heather that while Gavin had taken a fall, they were confident he didn't have a concussion.

"I was so thankful the first responders were there," she said. "My son said he would have been able to ride home, but had he got home all banged up, I wouldn't know what to do."

After returning home to rest, Heather and Gavin were visited by an Orange County Sheriff's Deputy that they recognized from the scene.

"He gave my son a new helmet — he even customized it and extra padded it," Heather said. "He told me he has seen my son out before riding and that he is a great and respectful kid who follows the rules."

Heather told Patch that hearing this flooded her with relief.

"It made me so proud," she said.