Second-year global politics student Ryan Husk said he met Joel Gauthier through a paintball and extreme sports club at Carleton.
“He was a leader, an enthusiast, a person who was not afraid to try anything [literally everything] and a great friend . . . He always had a funny and positive attitude . . . He is someone who I will miss,” Husk said via a Facebook message.
Husk started the club, and said he was touched by Gauthier’s commitment to the group.
Husk noted that Gauthier was very active on campus, founding the IBD Crohn’s and Colitis Support Group at Carleton.
Joel Gauthier, a first-year electrical engineering student at Carleton, died May 26 after he was struck by lightning May 25, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Paramedic Derek Davis said an 18-year-old male was riding his bike with a friend in Vincent Massey Park on May 25 at about 7 p.m. when they stopped under a tree. The tree and the victim were struck by lightning, and the victim went into cardiac arrest. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later died in hospital as a result of his injuries.
His companion was taken to hospital in stable condition and later released, Davis said.
“We are very saddened by this terrible news,” wrote Chris Cline, university media representative in an email.
“The Carleton community is sending its best wishes to Joel’s family and friends and we will support them in any way we can.”
