'She kept us strong': Gander teen killed in ATV crash remembered as cherished friend

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

The Town of Gander is mourning the decease of a Grade 9 pupil who was killed in an ATV crash on Monday.

Kerry Wheaton, a gymnastics coach, says she'll retrieve Aurora Keats arsenic an inspiration who was capable to assistance up everyone she met.

"She was decidedly a unit to beryllium reckoned with. If you met her, you knew her from that constituent on. There was nary forgetting her," Wheaton told CBC News Thursday.

"It's precise uncommon to find idiosyncratic that tin beryllium that inspirational to adults arsenic good arsenic children. To marque that impact, we don't spot it successful each kid."

Keats was progressive successful a fatal side-by-side crash along the Newfoundland T'Railway connected Monday. Police archetypal reported the clang successful a quality release, saying the conveyance had near the way connected a agelong approximately15 kilometres west of Gander. 

Keats died astatine the scene.

Another younker was taken to the infirmary successful Gander for treatment.

Erin Vivian told CBC News her daughter, Cate, was among Aurora's champion friends. The 2 teens won medals astatine a gymnastics contention earlier this month.

Vivian besides helped Aurora connected the softball field, and says she loved her similar 1 of her ain children.

"Like her name, Aurora, she was similar the bluish lights. Once you had the accidental of experiencing being successful her presence, you were ne'er the aforesaid again," Vivian said.

"There's nary representation that I person that doesn't impact her."

Hundreds of radical are expected to stitchery for a memorial work connected Saturday, including members from Aurora's gymnastics and volleyball teams who volition locomotion by her side.

Both Wheaton and Vivian accidental they're not definite what beingness volition beryllium similar without her.

"She wouldn't privation america to beryllium down and out," Wheaton said. "She kept america strong, and she volition ever support america strong."

Vivian says she isn't definite however radical volition determination forward.

"She was omnipresent. She was everyplace and she was successful everything. She touched truthful galore lives."

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