GREENBRIER, Tenn (WTVF) — A heart-wrenching incident has left a family in mourning after a teenage boy tragically lost his life. Sixteen-year-old Robert Dale Broadrick was mowing the grass at his grandparents' home when the lawnmower tipped into a pond, trapping him underwater where he drowned.
Robert Dale Broadrick was not an ordinary teenager. He cherished time with his family, especially his grandparents. His grandfather, Dale Broadrick, says he'll always remember his grandson’s loving nature.
“The first thing he would do is go home, and the next thing he’d do is come hug me,” said Dale Broadrick. “The last thing he would do when he left was hug both of us and tell us he loved us.”
Described as a young man who never met a stranger, Robert Dale was active in ROTC and had a passion for hunting and fishing. He was always ready to lend a helping hand without being asked.
On Monday afternoon, tragedy struck while helping to mow the lawn at his grandparents’ house. Broadrick recounted the horrifying moment when Robert fell into the pond and was pinned under the water by the mower's weight.
Despite their desperate efforts, it was too late to save the teen.
“This is the worst thing I’ve ever been through in my life, and he was so much a part of our life,” said Broadrick. “I feel like I’ve got a hole in my heart.”
Dale says he wishes he had more time with his grandson.
“I believe in God. I know there’s a God. But I don’t understand why He took him. I didn’t understand when He took my daughter—that’s one thing. But he was 16 years old. He never had a chance to enjoy anything in life.”
As the Broadrick family grieves the loss of Robert Dale, they hope their story serves as a reminder to hold your loved ones close and to never take a moment for granted.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at (Kelsey.Gibbs@newschannel5.com).
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
