Parents of teen dead from overdose hope others take tragedy to heart


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FARMINGTON — Viewmont High School junior Cade Galbraith was a competitive hockey player and attentive friend whose life was cut short Friday in a suspected drug overdose.

Now his parents hope to share a message about his death with other families in the hope that they might learn from their loss and avoid a similar tragedy.

"Please talk to your children about the dangers of drugs," Galbraith's parents said in a statement released Monday. "Even one-time use can have permanent consequences, and there is no way of knowing what substances you are actually ingesting, no matter what someone tells you."

Police say Galbraith was with three friends Friday at a Farmington home when they took some sort of drug, possibly LSD. Soon after, Galbraith and two of his friends required medical attention. The friends were treated at a local hospital and later released, but Galbraith did not survive.

Farmington Police Chief Wayne Hansen said investigators won't know exactly what the teens ingested until they receive toxicology reports.

"Our son Cade was a quiet and gentle kid who loved riding motorcycles in the desert, playing video games with his friends, and going to rock concerts with his father and we loved him very much," Galbraith's parents wrote. "His senseless and tragic death has left our family shocked and grief-stricken. The reverberations from this terrible event extend through our community, and we are grateful for the outpouring of love and support that we have received."

Student Tanner Little said it took a long moment for the news to sink in when he heard about Galbraith's death.

"He was my friend. He was my teammate," Little said. "He would grab your stick off of the bench if you forgot it."


Our son Cade was a quiet and gentle kid who loved riding motorcycles in the desert, playing video games with his friends, and going to rock concerts with his father and we loved him very much.

–Galbraith's parents


Scott Hinerman said he coached Galbraith when he played hockey from 2012 to 2014, and even though he wasn't as big as a typical defenseman, his spirit made up for his size.

"He was a great competitor," Hinerman said. "He did his best every time he stepped on the ice."

Teammate Nathan Young said classmates and friends have been flooding Facebook with goodbyes.

"You can tell a lot of people care about him," he said.

Hinerman called the hockey team a "band of brothers," and said losing Galbraith hits hard with everyone who played with him.

"He was a member of our family," he said. "It's tough losing a family member in any situation. We loved Cade and we're going to miss him."

Little said when school starts again Tuesday, students will be thinking of Galbraith, and it will be a hard week for many of his classmates and friends.

A team of grief and loss counselors will be available at Viewmont High School on Tuesday for student support.

"We encourage students to look after their friends, and if they see someone struggling to bring them to the counselors," Viewmont High School Principal Dan Linford wrote in an email to parents Monday. "Let's take care of one another."

The Viewmont High hockey team will be dedicating all three of its games Tuesday to Galbraith, Hinerman said. The team, which will be playing at Salt Lake City Sports Complex at 6:45 p.m., is extending invitations to all community members to attend the games. They're also welcoming donations for the Galbraith family.

"It's a sad situation," Hinerman said. "We're a tight family, so when something like this happens we all feel it tremendously."

Donations to the family can be made at GoFundMe.com/vch6hw.*

Contributing: Andrew Adams

*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.


Katie McKellar is a Dixie State University graduate with a bachelor of science in mass communication. Before interning at Deseret News, she reported and edited news content for Dixie Sun News, first as Photo Editor, then as Features Editor. Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com

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