11 Year old scout found alive in Utah!

[Cityboyfarmer]

Heard the news yesterday. Isn't this fantastic news!? There are so many missing children stories that do not have happy endings. Can you just imagine the relief and joy his parents are feeling today? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bczoom]

I just caught it on the news this AM.

I too am glad to hear he was found. Sad that the boy last year (in the same area) wasn't.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

From what I've heard he practiced the most basic survival skill, stay put.

Scouts are taught in wilderness survival merit badge classes that once you realize that you're lost you should stop moving around, setup a camp and wait for rescuers to locate you. They are also taught to find some type of signal device such as beating on a cooking pot at regular intervals or building a small smokey fire to attract attention.

Wilderness survival was my favorite class at summer camp. I'm glad to hear that this Scout made it.

Curt
Eagle Scout

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( From what I've heard he practiced the most basic survival skill, stay put. )</font>

Curt,

According to the article I read (Fox News), they said the boy eluded rescuers by going up instead of down. He climbed 600' higher and more than 5 miles into the woods.

Does he get a merit badge for his adventure (or mis-adventure)?

 

[boustany]

Actually, I read somewhere that the definition of 'missing children' has been morphed into something entirely different from what people think it is. When you exclude kids who stayed out late, ran away from abusive parents, etc., the actual number of kids kidnapped by bad guys is extremely small (the figure given was that a kid has as much chance dieing from a heart attack as being kidnapped by a stranger). I'm amazed - most of the 'missing children' posters I see are about 'children' born in the 1980s.

Then again the real tragedies happen are so disturbing and upsetting, I agree - its great to hear this kid was found alive and well. We've had a couple of real awful ones up here too.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

BCZOOM,

Obviously your facts are better than mine, I based my comment on the initial blurb I heard on the radio that he'd been found. Thanks for the link.

Curt

 

[beenthere]

I read the Yahoo posted news, and the fact that he climbed up over a pretty steep ridge, and then hid from searchers, may indicate he had a mission of 'escape' in mind, but possibly more or less. For those who loved him, glad he was found too. Sounds like it was good weather for the searchers as well, so they had a good mission that was a success, and all can be happy.
Maybe the kid was worried that he would have to cook (like the runaway bride in GA) for the others. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[RobertN]

We had a Troop meeting the day before he was found, to review stuff for our Troops upcoming trip to a similar camp. We(Den leaders, Scouts masters, and Assistant Scout masters), in Cub Scouts and now Boy Scouts, have always pushed the buddy system. It is part of the BSA agenda, but we push it over and above what is normally required.

We pushed this really hard at the Troop meeting.

This kid is the same age as my son. I would guess he was either at entry level Scout, or Tenderfoot. This boy probably has not had much training in the outdoors yet. But, as part of the Tenderfoot level, one of the requirements is to know what to do if you get lost. STOP; Stay Calm, Think, Observe, and Plan. If you think about where you came from, observe how you got where you are and look for signs of where you came from, and still are not sure, then stay put.

We have 24 boys in our Troop going to camp for a week this Sunday. I think this was really an eye opener for some of them.

 

[frank_f15]

yep i read that aslo. wonder why he went uphill, normal reactoin is to go downhill. either way glad he was found.

 

[Jeff396]

My MSN hopepage stated that he said he was afraid someone "would steal him". Pretty tough to find a kid who is afraid to be found.

Jeff