His body was found days before his graduation. But this Clovis teen was more than a tragic victim

What would you do if you planned a graduation party, but the guest of honor couldn't be there?

What if you ordered a graduation ring, but the graduate never would get to wear it?

Reschedule the party? Return the ring?

If only there was a way to always turn back the hand of time.

Maybe then, Jared Gardner never would've gone on a hike one week ago and instead would've celebrated his pending high school graduation as planned Sunday.

To his family and closest friends, the discovery of Gardner's body in the San Joaquin River on Friday confirmed what they'd already felt in their hearts.

Jared Gardner, at just 18 years old, is dead.

One week before getting baptized in front of his church congregation that he so dearly loved.

A couple weeks before he would've received his graduation ring that Jared and his grandmother picked out together.

And three weeks before his high school graduation ceremony.

"There's so many things I wish I did differently," Jared's older brother, Trent Gardner, wrote on Facebook.

Separated by 17 months, Trent and Jared did almost everything together.

As little boys, they were ring bearers at their aunt's and uncle's wedding. As teens, they'd go backpacking, cycling, swimming, rock crawling.

They'd tell each other jokes based on "stupid puns," and anyone who'd hear them "would roll their eyes."

"You had so many quirks," Trent wrote, "and I'm going to miss every single one."

The two were together last weekend, along with a handful of friends, when the group stopped to rest on some rocks in the San Joaquin River gorge.

Then, chaos.

Rushing waters came surging down the river, threatening to sweep the group away.

Jared helped one of the friends, Bailey Jones, to shore after the first surge of water.

He tried to help another friend, Jianna Sandoval, when the second rush came, according to his aunt Aubri Foster.

Jared Gardner and Sandoval were swept away. She managed to get to higher ground. He didn't.

"I've known Jared for about six years," Sandoval wrote on her Facebook wall. "You never in a million years think that your good friend would be taken so fast like that before your eyes."

For each of the next six "indescribably painful" days, Jared's uncle, John Foster, joined the Fresno County search and rescue team to look for Jared. Seemingly each day, they'd find a somber clue.

On Tuesday, they discovered Jared's favorite hat, a navy "Hume Lake staff" cap. Jared had aspired to one day become a counselor at the Hume Lake Christian camp.

He'd attended the popular Christian camp for many years and worked various jobs as a volunteer, including cleaning in the kitchen.

This summer, Jared was set to become a staff member and work in the audio/visual squad. It was all part of the process for Jared to become a counselor.

"He would've been a great counselor," Aubri Foster said. "He loved to be outdoors. He loved working with the kids."

Foster described Jared as a self-assured teen who "just knew himself so well."

Upon graduating as a home school student under the Christian Home Educators of the Fresno area organization, Jared had plans to take classes at Clovis Community College.

But mostly, Jared, like many teens, focused on enjoying the present and worrying about the future later.

He played ultimate Frisbee on Sundays, headed to the trails with his backpack when the weather was nice, and immersed himself in the Bible.

Raised in a Christian household, Jared was the second oldest of six children and understood the importance of setting a good example for his younger siblings.

In addition to regularly hanging out with his older brother, Trent, Jared would play with his younger brother, Derek.

He read to his younger sisters, Nicole, Elsie and Sophie.

He'd make his whole family laugh with his puns and funny T-shirts.

Friends would poke fun at Jared for his jokes. But as corny as they might've found Jared's jokes, they loved his sense of humor.

"The thing that really comes to my mind when I think about Jared is his smile and ability to make others laugh," Leah Schulz, who was part of the hiking group, wrote in a letter. "He really had a gift. Whenever he smiled, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Jared always made me laugh, roll my eyes."

As part of his graduation, Jared's mom put together a photo collage board of memories throughout his life.

There are photos of him as a baby sitting next to his teddy bears, pictures of him hugging his dad and smiling with his mom, as well as more recent photos of Jared going away from the big smile for a more smoldering, serious look.

Now, the collage will be used for his funeral.

"There's never a good time," Aubri Foster said of death. "But it's really hard to think that Jared isn't going to reach those milestones."

The Gardner family still plans to throw Jared a party. Except now, it'll celebrate his life as well as his graduation.

And as far as Jared's graduation ring, Jared's aunt said his grandmother "definitely" still plans to pick it up.

"The one I wish I had done most is tell you I loved you more," Trent wrote. "Never miss an opportunity to tell someone you love them, never miss an opportunity to give a loved one a hug.

"I'm going to miss you brother."

This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 2:59 PM with the headline "His body was found days before his graduation. But this Clovis teen was more than a tragic victim."