GLENDALE, WIS — A family in Glendale is mourning the loss of a 19-year-old who was killed in a kayaking accident on Silver Lake while out with friends.
Parents Heidi and Kent Kilbourn said they got a phone call at around 1:30 a.m. last Sunday, informing them that their son Thane Kilbourn had fallen overboard miles away in Illinois.
“You know the water is cold. You know it’s been a long time,” the 19-year-old’s father Kent said. “You know the reality of the situation is not good, so you just start thinking about everything.”
In the middle of the night, as Kent was making the drive to Silver Lake with a family friend, the Kilbourns learned their 19-year-old’s body was recovered hours later.
“Our hearts just shattered,’ mom Heidi said. “I really laid on the floor a lot and just tried to breathe in and breathe out. It was all I could do for a good 24 hours.”
The Kilbourns said Thane was out on Silver Lake in Oakland Hills, IL with friends celebrating a birthday but are waiting on area police to learn more about what happened.
They said they knew Thane wasn’t alone in the water but weren’t sure if he was wearing a life jacket.
“For me, some of that stuff doesn’t really matter because it’s not— knowing exactly what happened isn’t going to bring my son back,” Heid said. “It’s not going to bring me any peace.”
Instead, she’s doing her best to help people remember more about how her son lived, focusing on things like his love of music and kind heart.
For dad Kent knowing his son was just coming into his own as a young adult, beginning a new career in welding, enjoying time with his friends, and even thinking about buying a house, has been tough to reconcile.
“There were so many things that we wanted to do with him,” he said.
The Kilbourns said they’re finding comfort in the stories, pictures, and videos many of Thane’s friends have shared since, seeing new sides to their son.
They plan to host a celebration of life in honor of Thane on Friday, March 15th. To learn more about the event and help the Kilbourns financially you can visit their gofundme.
They also said they are grateful for the support they’ve gotten from people in their community so far, especially from Chaplain Tim Perry, who is based in Illinois.
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