“The last few days have been horrible. Like a terrible nightmare we can’t wake up from,” Lily’s aunt, Amanda Perez, tells PEOPLE. “It’s our Lily, she was only 7. She had her whole life ahead of her. We are broken and completely devastated.”
Amanda Perez/Go Fund Me
Brandon did all he could to shield and protect the 7-year-old girl as the boat crashed into her and her father, Lily’s uncle, Justin Harris, toldKGPE.
“Their boat just approached us from behind, not seeing us — as the driver told me later on,” Justin said through tears. “Brandon did his best. Me and my brother have always been close growing up so it feels kinda like losing a daughter.”
Perez tells PEOPLE that Brandon is “not doing good,” but will hopefully be released from the hospital on Thursday.
Courtesy Amanda Perez
Perez says that Lily’s mother is distraught, and has spent the past few days at Brandon’s side.
Perez said that Lily’s 3-year-old sister, Claire, was with the family at the time of the accident, according toKFSN.
“Claire just kept crying, saying, ‘the boat, the boat, Lily’s dead.’ ”
No one has been arrested in the incident and all parties are cooperating with the investigation, according to the police statement.
Parez hasset up a GoFundMe pageto benefit the family in the wake of the tragedy.
source: people.com
