RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)--A late night fishing trip at Belle Isle nearly turned deadly for a 25-year old Richmond man.
“I really thought I was going to lose him,” said Neal Seay, the victim’s best friend and witness.
Seay said that the two lost power following a severe round of storms in late June and decided to leave their hot apartment and go fishing.
“It was after dark," he said. "It was a stupid choice, a very stupid choice."
Seay said what happened at the end of the night is what changed his mind. He said a man, leaning on a pole, asked his roommate if he had any spare change. As his roommate reached into his pocket, a man jumped out from behind a tree with a gun and demanded the victim’s money.
Seay said his roommate knocked that gun out of the suspect’s hand, but, the suspect retrieved it and fired two shots at the 25-year old, missing his heart by less than an inch.
“We need to get these people off the street before they kill somebody,” said Glen Williams, the victim’s father.
Williams told CBS 6 that doctors initially didn’t expect his son to survive. Now Williams is thankful his son rallied, especially for the sake of his grandchildren.
“To even think about telling his four-year-old twin sons that their daddy is no longer there, I can’t imagine that,” said Williams.
Seay tells us, he couldn’t imagine watching his friend die in his arms as one thought ran repeatedly through his mind. “God, please don’t take my friend, “says Seay.
Williams told CBS 6 that his son’s boss is paying for his medical expenses for the next two months, but, will need assistance following.
They have a fund set up with Wells Fargo called, “Belle Isle Victim Fund,” if you want to help.
