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Thread: Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs (5 in utah)

  1. #1

    Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs (5 in utah)

    Five of victims in Utah
    Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs - and Congress wants to know why
    By Matt Canham
    The Salt Lake Tribune


    WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water. Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.

    This may sound like human-rights violations in a Third World country, but it took place in the United States, much of it in the deserts of southern Utah, according to Greg Kutz, an investigator with the Government Accountability Office. Kutz studied abuse accusations in wilderness therapy programs for troubled youth as part of an ongoing congressional probe into this loosely regulated industry. He presented his findings - thousands of cases of abuse or deaths since 1990 - to a House committee Wednesday. He also presented details of 10 deaths, five of which took place in Utah, one of the nation's leaders in wilderness therapy. Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., called the findings "absolutely astonishing" and "outrageous." "The federal government has completely failed to grasp the urgency of this situation," he said. Miller says Congress needs to wade into the oversight of these programs, though some of his Republican counterparts and the program owners want to see regulation remain at the state level.

    The only Utah representative on the committee - GOP Rep. Rob Bishop - did not attend because he was at another hearing. For family members of these dead teens, Tuesday's hearing was an emotional triumph. Cathy Sutton's daughter Michelle died of dehydration in a Utah program in 1990, which led the state to start regulating wilderness therapy groups. The state has closed three programs since then, but teens have continued to die. While Cathy Sutton still remains a bit skeptical, she said she has never been so full of hope that the government would rein in bad programs. But any congressional action will move slowly. The GAO expects to release a broader study early next year and more hearings are planned. The GAO report released Wednesday could not determine the frequency of abuse or deaths because no organization compiles such data. After scouring court records, state investigations and news accounts, the best investigators could say is that thousands of complaints have been alleged.

    Kutz acknowledged many programs are above-board but he also said abuse is "widespread" with "negligent" program owners manipulating desperate parents with false advertising. The 10 cases he highlighted showed a disturbing pattern of medical neglect, with counselors repeatedly assuming the teens were making up their symptoms. "It seemed that the only way program managers would believe they were not faking it is if they stopped breathing or did not have a pulse," Kutz told the committee. That appears to be what happened to Aaron Bacon in 1994. He was taking drugs and running with a bad crowd in high school, so the 16-year-old's parents enrolled him into the North Star Expeditions' nine-week program in Utah's Escalante Wilderness Area. He died a month later, having lost a fifth of his body weight. His body was covered in bruises, rashes and open sores. His father, Bob Bacon, told the committee that his son was a "grotesque skeleton." Journals kept by Aaron and counselors shows he received no food for 14 of 20 days and when they did let him eat it was small quantities of "undercooked lentils, lizards, scorpions, trail mix and a celebrated canned peach." Aaron Bacon, complaining of major stomach pain, wanted to go to a doctor. Counselors refused until they found him without a pulse. He died of a perforated ulcer. They thought he was acting sick to get out of the program. North Star Expeditions is no longer in business. After Aaron Bacon's death, Utah beefed up regulations, as it has after wilderness therapy deaths since then.

    Hikes can't take place when the thermometer tops 90 degrees. Each teen has to have six quarts of water a day. Medical personnel must check out each teen every two weeks. "There are a lot of good rules in place and we keep making them better every year," said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Human Services, which regulates the therapy programs. But that isn't enough, said Bob Bacon. "Regulations by themselves won't do anything." Utah lacks the resources to provide constant oversight, he said. And the state can't do anything about problem owners moving from state to state. Bacon wants to see federal mandates for training and for on-site medical personnel. He wants to see the government go after people who market themselves as experts when they have no actual expertise. And he wants the federal government to create a data clearinghouse to help regulators and parents alike. Right now, it is all up to the states and some have no rules and no oversight. It usually takes a tragedy for a state to revoke a company's license, Kutz said.

    Ken Stettler, the director of Utah's licensing office, said the only meaningful federal role he sees is a requirement that states have a standard set of regulations. After that, he said, state regulators are in a better position to keep an eye on the outdoor programs. The parents and members of the committee also expressed frustration that in many of these cases no criminal charges are filed and in those that do go before a judge, the punishments appear to be minimal. "There is really no teeth behind the investigations," Kutz said. "There is really no action on the criminal side here." The Aaron Bacon case was one of the few exceptions, but even in that instance the punishment was not severe. Seven North Star staffers were charged with some form of child abuse. One was convicted of a felony and served two months in jail. The others pleaded to lesser charges and received probation.


    Michelle Sutton,
    15, of California, died May 9, 1990, from altitude sickness, dehydration and heat exhaustion while hiking south of St. George with Summit Quest. Sutton's death led the state to start regulating wilderness therapy groups.

    Kristen Chase,
    16, of Florida, died June 27, 1990, of heatstroke on a hike in Kane County with the Challenger Foundation program of Escalante. Owner, Stephen Cartisano, was charged with negligent homicide but a jury acquitted him.

    Aaron Bacon,
    16, of Arizona, died March 31, 1994, of peritonitis and a perforated ulcer, while on a wilderness trek in Garfield County with North Star Expeditions of Escalante. Supervising counselor Craig Fisher was sentenced to a year in jail.

    Katie Lank,
    16, of Virginia, died Jan. 13, 2002, three weeks after she fell about 70 feet into a crevasse while hiking with Redrock Ranch Academy of St. George in Washington County. No charges were filed. Lank's parents sued and settled for an undisclosed amount.

    Ian August,
    14, of Texas, died July 13, 2002, of heat exhaustion while hiking with Skyline Journeys program in the Sawtooth Mountain area west of Delta. Owner, Mark Wardle, the parent company and a staffer were charged but the charges were later dismissed.

    Susan Pinson, Ian August's birth mother, reflects on his death nearly one year after he died in the Sky Line Journeys wilderness program in Utah.

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  3. #2
    Carbon Footprint Donor JP's Avatar
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    Ahh, troubled youths no more

  4. #3
    The parents should feel the guiltiest.

    Had they done the "parenting" part correctly, the children wouldn't "need" to go through such drastic "therapy".

    Bastards.

    If you want your kids to learn about survival, take them camping. If you honestly care about your children, you're not going to simply throw money at the problem and expect someone else to take care of it.

    Those youth programs are terrible, but the parents are the real monsters. I wonder why the kids started using drugs...Hmm.
    Lost On A Hill

    Utah Water Log

  5. #4

    Re: Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs (5 in utah)

    [quote="stefan"]Five of victims in Utah
    Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs - and Congress wants to know why
    By Matt Canham
    The Salt Lake Tribune


    WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water. Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.

    Dang! I'm glad I was a survival instructor in the mid 70's, or I think we (instructors) would all have been put in the Brig! Oh well..then at least we wouldn't have had soldiers to fight 'our' wars (imagine that..no wars! ) and all the air crew members would have succumbed and defected to the 'other side' (one united world). I had an air crew member personally thank me for making me 'eat his vomit' and crawl around with the worms after he was shot down behind 'enemy lines', played some 'SERE' and was able to speak as an american again.

    But then we aren't supposed to be teaching kids about stepping out of their comfort zones. We are supposed to be teaching them all the loopholes in legalities, so that they can sue and live happily ever after. How many kids have died as "gang bangers", because the parents wanted nothing to do with their upbringing?

  6. #5
    Bogley BigShot
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    Re: Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs (5 in utah)

    [quote="Bo_Beck"]
    Quote Originally Posted by stefan
    Five of victims in Utah
    Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs - and Congress wants to know why
    By Matt Canham
    The Salt Lake Tribune


    WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water. Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.

    Dang! I'm glad I was a survival instructor in the mid 70's, or I think we (instructors) would all have been put in the Brig! Oh well..then at least we wouldn't have had soldiers to fight 'our' wars (imagine that..no wars! ) and all the air crew members would have succumbed and defected to the 'other side' (one united world). I had an air crew member personally thank me for making me 'eat his vomit' and crawl around with the worms after he was shot down behind 'enemy lines', played some 'SERE' and was able to speak as an american again.

    But then we aren't supposed to be teaching kids about stepping out of their comfort zones. We are supposed to be teaching them all the loopholes in legalities, so that they can sue and live happily ever after. How many kids have died as "gang bangers", because the parents wanted nothing to do with their upbringing?


    Yep..... we are turning the children of today into a bunch of sissies.

  7. #6
    Bogley BigShot
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    Quote Originally Posted by LOAH
    The parents should feel the guiltiest.

    Had they done the "parenting" part correctly, the children wouldn't "need" to go through such drastic "therapy".

    Bastards.

    If you want your kids to learn about survival, take them camping. If you honestly care about your children, you're not going to simply throw money at the problem and expect someone else to take care of it.

    Those youth programs are terrible, but the parents are the real monsters. I wonder why the kids started using drugs...Hmm.
    While this is very very very true, still sometimes you just get a rough kid to deal with. I do have to agree with you that usually that is the problem. It's easy to do that sort of thing when they are young, but to keep it up when they get to be that "troubled age" here in lies the problem. It's so much easier to just say yes to things instead of staying involved in their lives and setting firm rules and sticking to them.

    Parenting is not easy.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by LOAH
    The parents should feel the guiltiest.

    Had they done the "parenting" part correctly, the children wouldn't "need" to go through such drastic "therapy".

    Bastards.

    If you want your kids to learn about survival, take them camping. If you honestly care about your children, you're not going to simply throw money at the problem and expect someone else to take care of it.

    Those youth programs are terrible, but the parents are the real monsters. I wonder why the kids started using drugs...Hmm.
    I personally believe these programs can be AWESOME! Problem I see is the cost associated with them. Many of the youth that graduate from the programs go on to become stewards of wilderness, responsible citizens wishing to be part of society and re-integrated into society. Sure...the success rate is pretty small. but then at least there is some success. Beats having them on the streets as unproductive, detrimental outcasts.

  9. #8
    I do think these programs need more structure but with many of these parents it's their last option . Not all the blame can be put on the parents.
    Some of the kids are going to have behavioral problems no matter how the parent deals with them. Their intentions are not trying to get them to become Daniel Boone.

  10. #9
    I can't condone the extreme acts that result in death, but I think the rate is pretty small compared to other avenues they might take. I agree that poor parenting is often the root cause, and trying to make up for a lifetime of this in one boot camp is a risky proposition. I can also say from personal experience that all the good parenting in the world can't save some kids from themselves. It's a complex issue where generalizations are often wrong.
    Stan

    Check out my photo gallery at www.pbase.com/sparker1

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by LOAH
    The parents should feel the guiltiest.

    Had they done the "parenting" part correctly, the children wouldn't "need" to go through such drastic "therapy".

    Bastards.

    If you want your kids to learn about survival, take them camping. If you honestly care about your children, you're not going to simply throw money at the problem and expect someone else to take care of it.

    Those youth programs are terrible, but the parents are the real monsters. I wonder why the kids started using drugs...Hmm.
    It's clear that you don't have personal experience with these types of programs. Not all of these programs are so harsh to their participants, and many are very good opportunities for troubled kids to turn their lives around.

  12. #11
    Bogley BigShot
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    They usually have counselors to make kids (and sometimes the parents) face their issues..... the programs are awesome actually. Utah is sprouting with them because it is literally legal here to kidnap the kids and do it ---- from what I have been told. I dont know the real issues.

  13. #12
    You're right. I never had any survival camp experiences. My Dad conjured up his own brand of "boot camp" for me. It was pretty rough. I didn't have to eat vomit, lizards, scorpions, or anything like that. I just got my ass kicked every day for awhile.

    That didn't work, completely. I'm still pretty screwed up, but at least I didn't end up in a padded room writing home with crayons. At least I'm stable enough to have married and now I have my own child to love and care for. No way in hell will I throw him out to be "solved" by someone else. We make sacrifices to ensure that he actually gets raised by us rather than a sitter while I'm at work. My wife stays home and does the HARDER job of being a mommy.

    I've had many different friends go through about every kind of camp, ranch, rehab, and other institutions that could be thrown at them before they turned 18. Poor kids. No matter how successful they were at making it through the programs, they still had the desire to recreate the way they always had.

    Once 18 came around, they became the states "problem" to deal with and ended up on probation or drug court. After peeing in a cup 3 times a week for a year or two, they fell away from the old fun and realized that soon enough, alcohol would soon be legal for them to purchase and possess.

    This started a much bigger problem. Now many of those kids that were once my friends are either stumbling drunks or hopeless pill freaks.

    It's sad that instead of receiving the proper attention from their families, they were thrown into camps and institutions. Their parents threw money at the "problem" rather than pay attention to their children. They lost those children and the adult shells leftover from all that don't want anything to do with their families anymore.

    I suppose none of it ever would've happened to them if they could've been a little smarter about their party-lives, though. Putting yourself in a situation where you could easily get busted isn't necessarily a wise thing to do...Especially over and over. I guess that may have something to do with the parents, as well.

    I understand, though. Sometimes a kid just won't learn and drastic measures need to be taken. I just have a hard time respecting parents who won't own up to the commitment they made when they procreated.

    I'll shut up now.
    Lost On A Hill

    Utah Water Log

  14. #13
    Loah, it's clear that your response is based on your own (not so pleasant) experience, which is usually the case for all of us. However, not all cases are the same. A boot camp "solution" doesn't always work, but it usually is thought to be the last resort. Sometimes it is chosen by the parents, sometimes by the state. In either case, it may be due to poor parenting or simply a personality that could not be reached despite great effort.

    It sounds like you are on the right track with your own child, and we all hope you are totally successful.
    Stan

    Check out my photo gallery at www.pbase.com/sparker1

  15. #14
    Bogley BigShot
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    Yes, kids are all so different... the way they are raised... the people around them ... and we all tend to focus on ourselves or those we know...


    I think the hardest job of all would be a counselor for kids

    .... well maybe a parent... the councelor gets to go home at the end of the day!

  16. #15

    Re: Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs (5 in utah)

    Quote Originally Posted by stefan
    Five of victims in Utah
    Ten have died in wilderness therapy programs - and Congress wants to know why
    By Matt Canham
    The Salt Lake Tribune


    WASHINGTON - Teens were beaten, tortured and denied food and water. Some were forced to eat their own vomit. One had to clean a toilet with a toothbrush and then clean his teeth with the same tool.


    Aaron Bacon,
    16, of Arizona, died March 31, 1994, of peritonitis and a perforated ulcer, while on a wilderness trek in Garfield County with North Star Expeditions of Escalante. Supervising counselor Craig Fisher was sentenced to a year in jail.

    I remember reading this article years ago about the death of Aron Bacon. It was such a heart-wrenching story. I cried while reading it. I was anguished over the whole thing and so outraged. I
    If the shoe fits ~ pretend it doesn

  17. #16

    wilderness program

    Quote Originally Posted by Bo_Beck View Post
    I personally believe these programs can be AWESOME! Problem I see is the cost associated with them. Many of the youth that graduate from the programs go on to become stewards of wilderness, responsible citizens wishing to be part of society and re-integrated into society. Sure...the success rate is pretty small. but then at least there is some success. Beats having them on the streets as unproductive, detrimental outcasts.
    I totally agree with you Bo_Beck. I used to send my 16 year old son to a wilderness treatment program years ago and I say that these programs are the best, they manage to return my son to his normal mood again. He become more responsible on the things he do and he care more about my feelings. Right now he is a volunteer in a boot camp here in our community and he is eager to help new kids to become better.

  18. #17
    Well, I too believe these programs can do a lot of good. Making a kid eat his or her own vomit (or worse) is over the top, and there maybe should be rules in place that instructors at these kinds of camps should be trained in first aid, CPR, etc., and be able to recognize altitude sickness and heat stroke. Then again, there are bad people in every profession and some of these guys who let this happen, seem to me at least, to be sadistic. That can't be what these programs are about. They need to be about helping kids, with tough love if necessary, but with underlying concern and kindness for the kids involved.

    I do agree though that the primary responsibility lies with the parents. Too many parents are sitting there using Facebook when a kid comes into the room needing help with their homework, or needing to just be validated. From the other end of the parenting spectrum, with my kids all grown, I can say from experience that parents who push aside their kids for whatever reason--be it career, hobbies, friends, etc.,---cause a lot of harm. Don't have kids if you don't want to raise them. I know far too many young people who think of babies like pets--they like them when they're so cute and cuddly, but when they get older, it's time to have another baby that's cute and cuddly, and time to ignore the older kid. That's just wrong. Ah, but I'm getting off on a tangent, though a tangent which I think speaks to much of the underlying cause of troubled teens.

  19. #18
    Another death yesterday.

    Teen dies while at camp near Heber
    A 17-year-old girl died Monday after hiking at a church camp in Wasatch County.
    Sophie Rose Barton collapsed while hiking at an LDS Church camp east of Heber City, said her grandfather, David Barton.
    The girl was in and out of consciousness, said Wasatch County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jared Rigby, and an ambulance took her to Heber Valley Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
    Rigby said deputies suspected heat played a role in the girl’s death. Heber City had a high of 96 degrees Monday, according to The Weather Channel. David Barton said an autopsy is being performed today to determine a cause of death.
    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49...-girl.html.csp

    I guess this sounds more like church camp than troubled youth camp, might be slightly off topic.

  20. #19
    Uhhh, way off topic. This is a girls camp in Heber where they have girls in the LDS church (and others who wish to go with friends in the church) camp in cabins with running water. It is actually a really nice place. I know about dehydration and heat issues from an incident we had with a kid last week. Totally different than the topic at hand.

    On the topic, I wonder how many of these kids would have survived on the negative path they were on that led their parents or courts to place them in a wilderness program. My hunch is that the programs save many lives that would otherwise be lost due to gang violence, drugs, alcohol or other risky behaviors, or suicide.
    Life is Good

  21. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Card View Post
    Uhhh, way off topic. This is a girls camp in Heber where they have girls in the LDS church (and others who wish to go with friends in the church) camp in cabins with running water. It is actually a really nice place. I know about dehydration and heat issues from an incident we had with a kid last week. Totally different than the topic at hand.

    On the topic, I wonder how many of these kids would have survived on the negative path they were on that led their parents or courts to place them in a wilderness program. My hunch is that the programs save many lives that would otherwise be lost due to gang violence, drugs, alcohol or other risky behaviors, or suicide.


    Hmmm, interesting point. Are the risks of troubled-youth camp worth the reward of 'saving' troubled youth even if a few die at camp? I'd be interested to know how many kids come back from camp changed and how many jump right back into the life they had before camp. Unfortunately even with statistics telling how many kids went on to live productive lives after camp you'll never be able to definitively say how many would have died without camp. Seems valid to assume that lives are saved at the cost of a few deaths at camp, until it’s your kid that dies at camp…

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