Community Mourns Plantation Teen After Tragic Diving Accident

Family and friends are grieving the sudden death of 17-year-old Cameron Ruwe, a Plantation teen who died in a diving accident in the Florida Keys.

Ruwe, a senior at Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School, was on a family trip near Grassy Key when the incident occurred. Authorities say he was diving Saturday using a hookah rig—a surface-supplied air system—when he went underwater and did not resurface. He was rushed to Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, but efforts to save him failed.

“He was the sweetest, most honorable, well-mannered child,” said his stepmother, Katherine Zaensi. “He always had a smile on his face and never had a bad day.”

Loved ones described Cameron as an outgoing athlete with a passion for the water and a heart for helping others. His father, Christopher Ruwe, pleaded for his son’s memory to live on: “Please never forget him. That’s my boy.”

An autopsy is pending, though officials say foul play is not suspected. The school community held a remembrance to honor his life, a testament to how quickly news of his passing spread.