A few months into a leave of absence from his long career of helping people with addictions, Sean Deakin's life changed - dramatically.

Hours after attending a seminar for a self-employment program, Deakin risked his own life to try to save a drowning man in the icy waters of Cameron Lake on Vancouver Island. The effort was valiant but Deakin, in order to save his own life, had to let the unconscious man go.

Later, in hospital, "I knew I was lucky to be alive and still with my wife and children," he recalls.

A few weeks after the traumatic event, he realized that "life is too short not to follow my dreams."

With that motivation, he decided to follow his passion for carving stone and wood, along with an interest in technology. And before long, with the support of family and friends, he was able to start Precise LaserWorks Inc.

Precise LaserWorks Inc. marries a Canadian-built CAMTech CNC Laser machine and software with Deakin's creativity, which allows him to engrave images onto "just about any surface you can think of," he says.

The CNC laser service is unique on Vancouver Island. There are a few other lasers in the area but they focus mainly on the cutting of materials; Deakin specializes in engraving.

His work has already earned recognition. He was commissioned to design and create the awards for the inaugural 2006 Science, Technology and Innovation Awards, handed out by the Mid Island Science Technology and Innovation Council.

Deakin has found other amazing potentials for the laser, including servicing a demand for relative and pet memorials. "Many people are telling me about their family, friends or pets that have passed on and they're asking if we can engrave a picture," he says.

Those projects are especially important to him, since it reminds him of his former career of helping people - and of how one dramatic moment changed his own life.

"We all want to remember our loved ones," Deakin says. "I am honoured to be a part of their healing process."

Our CNC Laser engraver is a rather large machine, making it a permanent fixture in our shop in Errington, British Columbia, Canada. Though our machine isn't mobile, we have successfully created laser engraving, etching and cutting services for a wide range of customers across Canada and the United States.

We're on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. Our local market includes Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Comox/Courtenay, Port Alberni, Duncan, Errington, Parksville, Qualicum, Tofino, Ucluelet, and everywhere else on Vancouver Island.

Depending on project materials, we can ship most laser engraving projects to customers anywhere across United States and Canada.