The head cook for the SoCal restaurant in Campbell River was savagely beaten on Thursday after trying to protect a woman on a popular local trail.
Dave Nicholls was riding his bike home from his birthday party at around 4:30 pm on Thursday, along the paved trail north of Rockland Road, between Dogwood Street and Springbok Road. He says he encountered two young men who were yelling at a young woman, and when he intervened to make sure they didn’t hurt her, they attacked him with fists and bear spray.
He was able to drag his bike up the trail connection to Springbok and headed towards his home, but collapsed on the street. A passer-by found him and called 9-1-1.
He suffered a shattered cheekbone and may lose the use of one eye.
“Dave is a single senior gentleman with a wonderful, helpful personality. He stopped to help someone who was in danger and ended up painfully permanently maimed and unable to support himself,” says the fundraiser page set up by his friends and co-workers. “He would never ask for a handout, but we know that he will need it eventually, so we are hoping our awesome community can show up for this special man.”
CHEK News reports that on Saturday Nicholls was well enough to visit his co-workers at SoCal, and is focusing on the love and support he is receiving instead of dwelling on the attack.
The two suspects are still at large, anyone with information should call Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6211.
You can visit the official donation page if you want to help Dave while he recovers.
