Nephi, Utah

[Cayo Hueso]

Is there something in the water out there or what?  


http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=662&forum=9

at Skyline Journey 13 July 2002
Sorted in ASC Order  
Anonymous
Unregistered User Posted: 2002-08-19 11:16:00  
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Greetings,
Someone asked for thoughts regarding the deaths at Utah Wilderness programs recently, specifically Skyline Journey.
Below is a message I intended to post at Struggling Teens, but decided against. I imagine that it would not be well received, as I did not have direct, personal experience with the program, which is their criteria for accepting any negative comments.
It is based on a more detailed summary that I am compiling and will post upon completion.
Deborah

Ian August was my neighbor and son of a friend of mine, so I am intimately involved and have followed this story very carefully. I do find merit in parents having access to ALL the articles printed in the Salt Lake Tribune. They were posted at Struggling Teens until the links no longer worked, then disappeared.

Currently a parent would have to know those articles exist at SLT to access them. They no longer appear in searches on the web. This is unfortunate. I have them in word files if anyone is interested to read
them.

The only remaining link at Struggling Teens is to the press release posted by Skyline. In that release, Ken Stettler (Utah Dir of Licensing)states that Skyline was in compliance with regulations. If that is the only report parents have access to they would not know that indeed Skyline was in violation of atleast two regulations that day, which were "overlooked" by Stettler.

Utah regs require that the entire group stop hiking if one participant can't continue. Ian's group continued when he refused to go further. Stettler ruled that Skyline was not in violation in that situation because Ian wasn't required to continue. That is not congruent with the law. There must be a good reason for having that rule in place. If it was important enough to make, it's important enough to follow and enforce.

Utah regs also state that a Wilderness program can be shutdown permenantly for just one violation, due to the difficulty of monitoring these types of programs.

Another violation that was never addressed in ANY article: It was reported that Ian's group continued and returned later. This violated regs by throwing off the staff to hiker ratio. One staff continued with five hikers.

Stettler has publicly admitted that the state is not proactionary, but reactionary. He also confessed that resources were short and his office rarely had time to even make it around for the annual inspections.

After the death of Aaron Bacon at North Star Stettler testified that, ?although he found violations after Bacon?s death, he gave North Star a clean bill of health and allowed it to remain in operation.? He trusted his fellow mormon saints to clean up the violations. Both owners later pled guilty to Neglegent Homicide. The court document painfully reveals the character of these two individuals (no credentials or previous experience with youth) and the
nighmare that Bacon endured.

Stettler discovered that staffers had allowed Bacon to go without the state-required minimum of 1,800 calories per day and to be without proper sleeping gear (when low temps were in the 20-30s) as punishment for dropping his pack on the trail. Bacon ?knew the consequences of abandoning his supply-laden backpack.?
Utah law forbids programs to deny food and proper bedding as punishment. Both were repeatedly witheld from Bacon.

Regarding the Salt Lake Tribune articles on Ian August: Stettler stated in the first article that the teens were hiking at 8,000 ft and the temperature was below 95* (state law). He knew this to be true "because
the counselors carry thermometers."

Every subsequent article stated a different altitude and temperature. In Skyline's Press Release posted here, Wardle (Dir of Skyline) reports that the group was at 6,800 ft and the temp at the time of the incident was 90*. Yet, in a SLT article the counselors "who had thermometers" reported that it was 90* when they began at 8:30.

It was 101* in Delta at 1:37 when the emergency call was placed, while the others were still out hiking. In a later article, Stettler changed the altitude to 7,000 ft. A subsequent article stated that the elevation in Marjum Pass is 6,400 ft. Skeptical? Yes, I still question the altitude and temperature that day, it was the hottest day of the year, 111 in places. The high in Delta- 107*.

I also do not feel Stettler did his job by relying on information from the counselors. He should have relied on a third party investigation and analysis. Two days later
the Dept of Human Services recorded a temp of 95* at 1:30 at the location. It was about 10 degrees cooler that day. The high in Delta- 98.1*.

The Press Release reports that deputies confirmed the temp was less than 90* during the hike, after contacting the US Meteorological Service which stated that the temp at 11:30 that morning at the altitude the group was would have been 85-86*. Which altitude was provided? 8,000-7,000-6,800- 6,400? Whatever the true altitude, it was impossible that the temp "during the hike" was 85-86*, if the counselor's report has any merit. And it certainly appeared to in Stettler's first report. He made a public statement to a newspaper based on it.

There are also discrepencies in the reports regarding what was done for Ian. Officals reported that he sat down, was provided shade by a tarp, began moaning about 1:30 and tipped backward, no pulse, help was
summoned. Later Wardle reports that Ian "sat under a tree for 2 hours, then collapsed. Later, counselors reported that Ian "began to moan and was breathing heavily, sweating excessively and lying on his back. When
August became unconscious, counselors moved him to a sitting position in the shade of a tree." After no response, CPR was started. And the last report, "he sat down, the staff moved him into the shade and sat with him until he lost consciousness." That was 2 hours.

The staff that stayed with Ian was an EMT which should know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and what to do- move to a cool place, elevate feet, encourage water, cool body with water and fanning. S/he "sat him up under a tree and sat with him until he became unconscious"??

It was also reported that Ian told counselors he was thirsty and was "given water". I would like to know if the teens are in possession of and control of their water source. All advice recommends a steady
supply of water, it's too late if you have waited until you are thirsty.

There is yet another concern regarding why it took emergency crews 2.5 hours to get to Ian. Wardle and the sheriff gave conflicting accounts regarding the distance and conditions of the roads. Wardle stating it
was a 40 min drive from Delta. The sheriff responded that it was 70 miles from Delta, 25-30 of those miles on a gravel then two-wheel-track kind of road, and finally a hike of one to two miles. The helpicpoter
couldn't land because it was too hot- decreased air density. Rough terrain was another concern.

Regarding Ian's physical condition: He was not overweight. As one article bluntly put it, at 5'3" and 200+ pounds, he was morbidly obese. My rememberence of him was that of a couch potato. Common sense should tell one that it's not wise for an overweight individual to go from 500 ft to 6-7,000 ft to hike for extended periods of time, without significant preparation and conditioning. Anyone aware of what professional hikers do before such a trek? As one of the articles boldly questioned, "Where is the common sense in this?"

I feel every parent should know about all deaths and accidents at programs and have access to ALL reports so as to analyse the details for themselves.

Skyline appears to be one of the better programs based on their literature. Discrepencies in their reporting and the level of damage control they employed caused me to be highly suspicious. If they violated a regulation, they should have been sited and penalized. If there were multiple violations, they should have been closed. That would have generouse given the law. And parents should know that the violations that day were overlooked by the State Licensing Dirctor...and this was not the first time he has done so.

Are teens safe in Utah?

The same guy who ran that program was just granted another license to "treat" kids, in Nephi, by the same guy that gave him his license before... http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... =9&start=0

Nephi, mind you, has a total land area of a whopping 329 miles...a population of approxiamtely 5000.  What the hell is going on out there

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.
-- John Muir

[Antigen]

...which answers the question "If they've had their license pulled so they can't offer therapy, then why haven't the kids who are there for therapy all been sent home?"

Cuzzzz, it's Utah, Prozac capital of the world! I wonder if a little Prozac would do for the mideast what it's done for religiously repressive areas in America? And would that be an improvement? I mean, at least our religious zealots only cap a doctor or two once every dacade or so. It's not like they're lobbing bomb laiden virgins at us or anything....

[ducking]

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.

--Thomas Jefferson

_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

[Anonymous]

Are you just going to believe that the Sudweeks just follow the RULES and don't have therapy going on JUST BECAUSE they don't have a license? Don't be silly! The parents have been TOLD to call Dr. Bernie a "school counselor" because of 'all that business with the state and all that license stuff....' BUT everyone there KNOWS what Dr. Bernie really DOES.....but so does everybody else.  All this rule-breaking is not good, is it? Shame on YOU!

[Antigen]

You're missing the point. If a TBS in California or New York or somewhere lost it's license, CPS would be onhand to take custody of the students/patients and see that they got home or put up somewhere in the foster system.

A TBS in Nephi loses it's license and it doesn't make a differents. Not like the local authorities are going to actually shut them down or anything. Why? Because it's Utah! Evidently, the licensing "requirement" is really only sort of a suggestion.

The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.


--H.L. Mencken

[Anonymous]

Oh, think I got it. The "license" really needed to actually MEAN something to begin with. THEN the loss of this "License" would really be meaningful.

It all really is a "game" there in Utah if you think about it. Now that I think about it---having that "LICENSE," was probably just a way for the Sudweeks to UP THE TUITION A BIT...maybe.  That may have made it sound more medical, professional, etc to call it a "treatment center." Parents would probably be willing to pay a lot more for a TREATMENT CENTER than just a plain ole Private School, wouldn't you think?  Pretty nice game going there.

[Anonymous]

what sucks about what you are saying is the fact that NONE of the kids are there for therapy

[Anonymous]

Really? So all of a sudden, none of the kids at Whitmore need counseling? None of the kids have problems?
  They are all just there for the fine educational opportunities offered by Verne the "Carpetery Skills teacher,"...Terry who teaches "Mechanics,"....Mark Simmons' class in "Wood Shop,"...."Karate" by Ben...or "Home Economic" by Granny Venice or Darlene...or how about "Horsemanship" by the Sudweeks...Trinity, Jeff, Laeysa, Or Shayla....OR PE, DANCE by the owners, Mark and Cheryl.   YEA RIGHT!

That should get a few kids into college!

[Anonymous]

NO they are not there for "THERAPY" because that's not what it is called.....right?

[Anonymous]

you are right..most of the kids are here for education purposes now..and you forgot the english, history, math and science teacher for the core subjects..you only mentioned the electives that we can choose from

[Anonymous]

TEACHERS!! sorry..I forgot I had to make it plural so you idiots dont get confused

[Anonymous]

Why aren't any CORE TEACHERS listed with photos on YOUR STAFF SHEET....HUH? YOUR current staff sheet!

[Anonymous]

NOW---just why do you have to start the name-calling? Try try to control yourself, Cheryl.

[Anonymous]

What are these CORE TEACHERS' names? First names will do.   What are their degrees? What are they certified to teach?  Who holds their certifications?  Who employes them full-time?

[Cayo Hueso]

On 2005-03-15 21:37:00, Anonymous wrote:

"you are right..most of the kids are here for education purposes now..

Why the change?  

In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong

--John Kenneth Galbraith

[Anonymous]

Understand the Whitmore crowd is packing up the SCHOOL for Mexico.Are they just waiting around to see if the fine City of Nephi MIGHT relent and give them that LICENSE for a SCHOOL to replace the license they have for a Bed and Breakfast? Just never can tell about that little town of Nephi and how the wind might be blowing? THINK the Suds are taking all those "teachers" so the kids won't fall behind in that quality education they're getting there? Heard DR.BERNIE'S going along for the ride. Strange a "school counselor" gets to go, huh? Surely the "teaching staff" will be included!