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By Christopher Magan and Danielle Wilson

Staff Writers

A Hamilton Twp. family and Lebanon church community is mourning the death of a teen who died from injuries suffered in an accident at a Christian summer camp on Tuesday, July 15 at Cedarville University.

Curtis Geesaman, 15, who was attending the camp with a group from Heritage Baptist Church in Lebanon, was participating in a "Sumo Wrestling" event inside an inflatable ring when he tried to dive on top of another student. He landed on his head, causing a severe injury, said Dan Brown, executive director of LIFT Youth Ministries.

"The way he landed, he hit his head and caused some bleeding," said Brown, whose organization is holding a camp for 1,300 high schoolers at Cedarville University this week.

Curtis was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's office. The accident happened about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Brown said. Curtis was taken to Greene Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Children's Medical Center in Dayton, where he was put on life support. He was an organ donor.

The Geesaman family, which has only lived in Ohio little more than a year, delayed moving back to Texas because Curtis wanted so badly to participate in the LIFT Youth Ministries camp along with his friends at Heritage Baptist Church in Lebanon.

"He really has grown to love the kids in his church," said Troy Geesaman, Curtis' father.

As much as Curtis loved his Ohio friends, he was excited to go "home" where there were more opportunities to perfect his ice hockey skills and meet up with old friends, his father said.

"The fact that he was at a church camp having an awesome time, that gives us some comfort," said his father. "Curtis loved to learn about God, play sports and be with friends."

"I think he just loves the fun and fellowship," Geesaman said. ". . . Our biggest comfort is knowing where he is now."

Other children at the camp decided to stay at the camp and mourn their loss as a united group, said Ellen Powers, an executive assistant at Heritage Baptist.

LIFT Youth Ministries, based in Kentucky, holds summer programs for thousands of high school age students across the country.

The organization has rented out facilities in Cedarville for eight years, said John Davis, university spokesman.

In addition to his father, Troy, Curtis is survived by his mother, Kim Geesaman, and two younger sisters, Ellen, 11, and Natalie, 8.

The family will hold a visitation from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19 at Heritage Baptist Church, 2234 Utica Road, Lebanon. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Arrangements are being made for a memorial service and burial in Gunter, Tex.

Staff Writer Ryan Cook contributed to this story.