Deaths at Jamboree

[SouthPoleScout]

Not much on the details, but apparently we lost 2 adult scouters this Monday morning to heat. And then tragically this Monday afternoon 4 troop leaders were killed instantly when the metal pole they were erecting hit a power line.

 

What a horrid way to start the week. Please pray for the families and for the boys.

 

 

[NJEagle]

I just heard a clip of this on the news. No details yet. My prayers go out to the families of all involved.

 

YIS

 

[wadahoot]

Apparently, a vehicle struck a utility pole and there were live wires that have injured and/or killed a number of people. Of course, the details are sketchy, but between what our Scoutmaster has heard (and called with info to start our Phone Tree that all is well with our contingent) and what I could find on the local Virginia news, the story is that 12 people (including Scouts) were injured and 4 Scoutmasters were killed, as the wire fell on a tent. Some news outlets are calling it a 'car accident' and others are calling it an 'electrical accident.'

 

Subcamp 7

[wadahoot]

I can't seem to get signed in correctly to be able to edit my above message - sorry.

 

It was in Subcamp 7, and some people were airlifted out.

 

local paper: http://fredericksburg.com/

 

local TV: http://www.nbc12.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WWBT/Page/WBT_SectionFront&c=Page&cid=1059969234570 sometimes this article has a video to click on next to the article title

 

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/072005/07252005/0725jaminjury/0725VAFRE102web.jpg/photo_view

 

As for the heat - It is terrible; when I just checked the heat index there is 116 degrees! There is a system of flags and announcements that have stopped ALL activities this afternoon and evening. The 'cease and desist' order is for everyone's protection. Our Scoutmaster that called me to activate our Phone tree said that the whole camp was set up this morning prior to the stop order, and the kids are now sitting around trading patches and drinking lots and lots of water. He said the kids all have a real positive attitude and are taking it all in stride! He said that the medial staff have 'baby pools' set up with ice-cold water and if anyone feels they are overheating, they just hop in! None of our contingent has had to do so, as the adults are 'force-feeding' everyone liquids.

 

What a horrible, horrible day. =(

[wadahoot]

Latest news:

"Four adult scout leaders from the Western Alaskan Council are dead tonight after an electrical accident at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill. "

 

Couldn't be worse news ... so hard to get home, or for families to get to their kids and spouses. =(

[SouthPoleScout]

More specifically it was subcamp 711.

 

http://www.bsajamboree.org

 

Prayers and Sympathies Offered

to Scout Leaders' Families and Friends

Four BSA leaders died in an electrical accident at Fort A.P. Hill between 4:30 and 5 p.m. today while setting up camp. Two other individuals were also injured in the accident. One is a Boy Scout leader and one is a contract worker. Both are in stable condition.

Our prayers and sympathies are with the families of each of the victims. It is a tragic loss that is shared by everyone in the BSA. Counselors and chaplains are at the jamboree and available to any Scout or leader.

A thorough investigation into this accident is underway.

 

[rkfrance]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163617,00.html

 

The killed and injured Scout leaders were from Anchorage, Alaska, said Bill Haines, Scout executive and chief executive officer of the Western Alaska Council (search), which oversees about 10,600 Boy Scouts and is the largest of three councils in Alaska.

 

 

[ranger1172]

I am so glad I could find at least a few details here. lets hope the rest of the week is blessed.

[VentureScoutNY]

What a terrible way to start off the Jambo, my thoughts and prayers go out to those involved. I'll be heading down to the Jambo Thursday, I hope the mood will be ok considering the situation.

 

I wish everyone heading down there though a safe and fun trip!

 

YIS

[NWScouter]

Here is a copy of an email that was sent to me about the accident --I'm waiting for names for I may have meet some of them at our conclaves as Alaska is in our section. May God bless and strengthen their families and friends.

 

Hi everyone,

 

 

 

This is Eriks fiance, Amber, writing. Erik is at the Boy Scout National Jamboree in Virginia. If you havent seen the national news for today, there was a horrible accident at the Jamboree. Four scout masters were electrocuted and killed in an accident. Two others are injured and in the hospital. Erik called to let me know that everyone from the Washington state troops are alright. The accident was at a nearby campsite down the hill from them.

 

 

 

He said the troop (who I believe is from Alaska or Nebraska hard to tell with the bad cell phone reception) was setting up a tall 20 foot tent. The middle supporting rod was made of metal and got tangled in a telephone pole. I think the accident happened when they were trying to untangle the tent rod from the pole. There were doctors on-site at the time of the accident, but since it involved electrocution, it wasnt safe to go near and try to help.

 

 

 

There arent a lot of details that have been released to the media at this point, but Ive already gotten a few phone calls from people who are concerned about friends at Jamboree, so I just wanted to let everyone in Eriks address book know that the Washington state scouts are ok. Such a sad and horrible thing to have happen.

 

 

 

 

 

~Amber

 

[wadahoot]

As feared, some of the Leaders were Dads of Scouts at Jamboree *sigh*

 

Four Scout leaders killed at jamboree

July 26, 2005 12:00 am

By KRISTIN DAVIS and MELISSA NIX

 

Four Boy Scout leaders were killed yesterday in the worst tragedy of the National Boy Scout Jamborees 68-year history.

 

An electrical accident apparently occurred when a tent pole came in contact with a power line late in the afternoon of the opening day at Fort A.P. Hill.

 

The men were adult Scout leaders from the Anchorage, Alaska, area, said Bill Haines, Scout executive and chief executive officer of the Western Alaska Council.

 

All the young Scouts with the Alaska group are fine, Haines said.

 

A contractor and another Scout leader were also injured during the accident. One was taken to Mary Washington Hospital; the other was taken to VCU Medical Center in Richmond, said jamboree spokesman Gregg Shields. Their conditions were not immediately available.

 

The names of the victims were not released last night. Families of the deceased were still being notified, Shields said.

 

Scout spokesman Bob Dries said last night that there are no plans to cancel the rest of the jamboree. The first day of the quadrennial event began in high spirits, with thousands of Scouts arriving by bus in bright shirts, carrying brand-new camping gear.

 

But just before 5 p.m., military police, fire and rescue workers rushed down Lee Drive shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way.

 

Scouts and Scout leaders were headed down Lee Drive, in the eastern part of the Army post, toward their campsites.

 

A small crowd of curious onlookers gathered near the scene, called Subcamp 7. Some pedestrians continued their trek, barely pausing as smoke rose from a large white tent several hundred feet away.

 

Meanwhile, men in full protective gear rushed into the smoking tent and returned carrying what appeared to be a covered body.

 

The scene was cordoned off with yellow tape, and the tent sat drooping and lopsided several hours later. Power was shut down in that area of the post and workers from the Rappa hannock Electric Cooperative arrived on the scene.

 

News of the tragedy spread slowly across the sprawling Army post, where more than 35,000 Scouts from across the United States have gathered for the 10- day jamboree. Scouts went about their late-afternoon routine, picking up food items and heading back to their posts to prepare dinner.

 

Most Scouts seemed unaware of the deaths.

 

Jamboree officials said they did not know the exact circumstances of the accident, nor did they know the voltage of the power lines.

 

A thorough investigation is under way, Shields said.

 

He said counselors and chaplains were made available to the Scouts affected by the tragedy. Haines said the four victims were longtime Scout leaders with Troop 711, which together with Troop 712 brought 80 Scouts, and eight leaders to the jamboree.

 

The father of a Scout from the Alaskan contingent said all the Scouts had been removed from the area of the accident.

 

Its now an investigation scene and its closed to everyone, he said in a telephone interview. The Scouts were moved to Army barracks on the post and chaplains and counselors are spending time with them.

 

The father, who did not want to be identified, said his 17-year-old witnessed the incident. Hes a very stoic type but this will hit him later, the father said.

 

He noted that some of those killed likely were parents of Scouts and others were longtime leaders. How it will affect them you just never know.

 

On Sunday, Boy Scouts volun teer Albert Puff, 57, of Stella, N.C., was taken to a local hospital where he died of an apparent heart attack, said jamboree spokeswoman Renee Fairrer.

 

There have been two accidental Scout deaths in the jamborees 68- year-history. In August 1997, 16- year-old Robert Combes of Fin leyville, Pa., died after the mili tary Humvee he was driving overturned on a winding gravel road near Wilcox Road and A.P. Hill Drive.

 

Combes, a youth staffer at that years jamboree, was crushed beneath the 7,700-pound vehicle, which was used to transport ice and cold drinks between camp sites. He was not trained to operate the truck but convinced another teenager to let him. Three other teens were injured in that accident.

 

In 1977, a Scout attending the jamboree at a state park in Pennsylvania was struck by light ning and killed.

 

Gov. Mark Warner issued a statement last night, offering his condolences to all those affected by the tragedy. He said he wished to reassure the parents of the Scouts that they were in good hands.

 

All of us hope and pray that the remainder of the 2005 National Jamboree will offer a safe and educational experience for these young men and their adult lead ers, he said.

 

Free LanceStar reporter Edie Gross and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/072005/07262005/0726accident

Copyright 2005 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.

[Prairie_Scouter]

How very tragic. I hope that the Jambo can recover, emotionally, so that this can still be the experience of a lifetime for the Scouts there. I have always found Scout camps to be as safe as they can humanly be made. Nonetheless, when you have that many people together in some place, the odds are that something is going to happen someplace along the way. Let's hope that they can deal with the situation and move on.

[NWScouter]

The troop numbers being given out sound like jamboree only troop numbers not their regular troop numbers.

[SMT376Richmond KY]

Sad and tragic indeed. I wonder why on earth they were pitching a 20ft tent with metal poles directly under power lines(and what was the organizers of the jambo thinking by placing a them in the situation if that was all the space available)

we teach our boys to look overhead first when selecting a site for what might fall on you. I have one Scout and ASM at the Jambo this year will be interesting to hear from them when they get back on what if any educational opportunity was taken from the tragic event.

My heart felt sympathy and prayers to the scouters and their families.

[SMT376Richmond KY]

Sad and tragic indeed. I wonder why on earth they were pitching a 20ft tent with metal poles directly under power lines(and what was the organizers of the jambo thinking by placing a them in the situation if that was all the space available)

we teach our boys to look overhead first when selecting a site for what might fall on you. I have one Scout and ASM at the Jambo this year will be interesting to hear from them when they get back on what if any educational opportunity was taken from the tragic event.

My heart felt sympathy and prayers to the scouters and their families.