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I followed the story in Utah carefully. What seems to have happened is this:

The Troop was at the climbing tower, just before dinner. Usually at Scout camps like this, from 9:00 AM to Noon and from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM there are merit badge classes in the various program areas. From 4:00 to 5:00 there is "Free" time. The waterfront is opened up to Free Swim and Free Boating, the rifle range is opened up to Free Shooting, and the climbing tower is opened up to Free Climbing. The areas are still fully staffed; it's just that Scouts can go to whatever program area they want (instead of having to keep to a class schedule) and use the facility on a first-come/first-served basis. Everyone waits their turn. And since the Scouts can all scatter to different program areas, you often don't have an adult at each program area for each Troop.

Apparently, members of the Troop, likely mixed in with Scouts from other Troops, were at the tower (probably at Free Climbing) when the dinner bell rang. There was a steak dinner that night. When you've eaten camp food all week, a steak dinner gets you pretty excited. So all the Scouts there shucked off their harnesses and took off for dinner.

I teach climbing in the BSA. Climbing harnesses are deliberately designed to hold onto you real tight, and if you're not experienced (as this Scout wasn't), they are hard to get off quickly. Apparently this kid took a minute to get his harness off, and by the time he did everyone had taken off. So the Scout tried to find his own way, and got lost.

I do wonder where the staff was. They wouldn't have left the area until after the last Scout did. I figure that the young man left the program area going in the right direction, at which point the staff set their hands to picking up all the harnesses, stowing the ropes, etc., not thinking the Scout would take a bad turn once he left the area. You have to stow all that gear and lock it up so that no one will either steal it (it's expensive) or try to use it without supervision. The Scout came to the first turn and went the wrong way, and got lost. And then dodged rescuers for 3 days because Mommy and Daddy had put the fear of God into him about strangers.

Anyway; the Scouts who ran off broke about 4 of the 12 Scout Laws and also broke the Buddy System rule. "Every man for himself" is not Scout Spirit. That's the way most kids think, though. In fact, it's the way that most kids are brought up. We try to teach them different in Scouting, but it's hard to overcome what they're being taught the rest of the time.

When my Troop is at Summer Camp, I don't expect that all the kids will be under our Troop adults' supervision at all times. Keeping up with a bunch of 12-year olds is a tall order under normal conditions, never mind when you're living outdoors all week and the kids are normally scattered over 100's of acres. Under such conditions, it's not possible for 3 or 4 adults to keep all of 20 or 30 Scouts under their direct supervision at all times. But we do drill into the kids that it's an unusual environment and that the Buddy System will be strictly enforced. And then we DO enforce it. And we also speak to the older Scouts about keeping an eye on the younger ones.