Posted on 05/07/2007 1:51:35 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Family sues survival school after death of fit 29-year-old on wilderness course
"Dave is dead." The words came at the end of the second day of what was supposed to be a character-forming experience, a chance for 12 people to "experience the wilderness to the fullest".
Instead, the trek through the mountains and desert of Utah in the mid-western US left David Buschow, a fit 29-year-old US air force veteran and security guard from New York dehydrated and hallucinating, his eyes bulging and tongue swollen. Less than 10 hours after setting off from the group's overnight camp on the second day, Buschow collapsed and died.
According to the coroner's report, he died from "dehydration and electrolyte imbalance due to hiking in hot environmental temperatures with inadequate water and electrolyte replacement".
But, an inquiry has found, the three wilderness camp instructors accompanying the group did have water. They chose not to offer it to Buschow, preferring that he attempt to complete the day's task. Buschow died knowing he was just 100 yards from the spot where water had already been found.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Definitely worth considering. The guides knew the symptoms of heat exhaustion and/or dehydration and to deny water is a basic act of aggression. All the clap-trap about ‘going beyond your limits’ is pure BS. I send ‘em to the slammer for 5-10 and let them ‘go beyond their limits.’
That is an excellent question, and one that needs to be investigated before we hang the guides.
It was 10 hours on the second day without water. Investigation over.
During my tour with a Marine infantry battalion in Vietnam, heat prostration was the most frequent return to duty (RTD) casualty we had. We didn’t have heat stroke because we would stop and treat the casualty properly. (Believe me, the VC and NVA were somehow still around when we started out after them again.) Fortunately, there was plenty of water and shade (the key ingredients required for treatment) available.
Even if he signed a waiver, the fact that he did can’t be used to cancel out basic protections of law. One of these protections is the right to receive emergency assistance when injured or sick. Had the deceased fallen down and broken his ankle, would the guides have insisted that he set it himself and continue with the day’s activity? They denied basic medical assistance (which they were probably well trained to provide) to a person showing signs of a severe medical condition. It really doesn't matter what was causing it. Heat stroke is not some imaginary disease arising out of a lack of willpower. Once he had medically diagnosable symptoms, a duty to assist was created. If they claim they weren't qualified or able, the school and the instructors were criminally and civilly liable for the hazard they created for their students and failed to protect them against.
The sheriff needs to talk to the county prosecutor on this one. (Or talk to him again.) I hope the parents’ attorney talks to state attorney general just to ensure favoritism isn’t being displayed by the county towards the school.
I think you are right about the ultimate outcome. They (and their insurance company) will probably lose their a**es on this one and deservedly so. Whether or not they will serve time, I don't know.
“This guys family will bankrupt the group and the owners and guides should be tried for manslaughter.”
That’ll assuage their grief, and surely bring him back to life. It’s good to know so many Freepers have endorsed the gotcha victimology of the Leftists. And before you flame away, count what is the majority sentiment on the tread, the one that folks feel strong enough, that they just must type it out: REVENGE, PAYDAY, KA-CHING!
It's a British publication. To them, this means the middle of the Western U.S., which is where Utah is.
I know it’s a British publication - sort of - Pravda West would be more accurate.
“They could only drink when they found water, but not fill water bottles or canteens.”
If this is true, whoever came up with it needs to have his head examined. The NUMBER ONE RULE when doing anything in hot and/or humid conditions is have water and DRINK water BEFORE you are thirsty. Good Lord how can anyone be so stupid?
The human body needs water when it needs water. You can’t “will” yourself to continue without it.
This is just outrageous.
I’m aware of the Guardian’s political slant, but this story looks pretty accurate compared with other sources. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day . . .
” He probably never looked so angelic in his life as when he was dying of thirst.’
I really doubt it. Now, if he had had pudding instead of brain mass, he might have.
They didn’t mention altitude or wind. My son spent 4 hours outside in Wyoming on a hot, dry, windy day, and was in the hospital 2 hours later.
I don't consider punishing professionals for gross misconduct "gotcha victimology". Many things entail risk, and people are free to risk their lives - whether it is motorcycle racing or skydiving. But in this case they were taking training. The people who were training them had a moral responsibility towards them, which they utterly failed. Even then, if it was some super advance free climbing class, perhaps it there is an out.
That was not the case here. The instructors set up a course of study that directly resulted in this death. At a minimum enough law needs to be applied to these people to prevent them from ever teaching this way again.
My argument is that even amongst Conservatives, the reflex is to howl at whomever is “responsible.” I don’t see a big difference between this and how the Left treats a soldier’s death in Iraq by instantly deriding our President. You would agree, there is much more to consider in both cases than A implies B?
If the "hikers" were stupid enough to sign up for THIS, then maybe they got what was coming to them. What happened to PERSONAL responsibility?
for an instant I thought the headline referred to a star trek fan at a convention. (ok not really but almost)
I think that you and I are talking about two entirely different things. No harm, no foul.
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