The potential for erring on the side of caution being abused should not enter the equation.
You must understand that many of the kids who died needlessly were seen my medical personnel and/or were hiking with an EMT, one in particular, who ignored her medical training and used the program method of ?flushing out fakers?. This woman knew the signs of heat exhaustion, yet deferred to the program owner?s direction.
My son was left alone, for his ?solo?, with no water, no light, no food, no protection from the elements; with only a black trash bag to lie on and a pancho to cover his head; in an area where he had already had a close encounter with a rattlesnake. He was vomiting frequently all night. He screamed for assistance. No one was in ear shot- all tucked into their nice warm beds at base camp. He was 14. This was cruel, abusive, and neglectful. He could?ve died alone in the woods that night. I feel very fortunate. My neighbor?s son, Ian August, wasn?t so fortunate. He died. I had shared the reality with his mother. She sent him anyway. I?m sure she felt, like most parents, that it wouldn?t happen to her kid. Well it did. And any number of tragedies could?ve happened to you too.
Yeh, they could?ve happened at home, but not under the guise of therapy.