Boy Scouts 'All Started Screaming'

wyway via drudge ^ | 07.26.05 | LARRY O'DELL , JEANNETTE J. LEE

[FreedomCalls]

Several TV stations have lost their news trucks (burned up) when the operator raised the truck's microwave antenna into an overhead power line.

And several soldiers in Europe have lost their lives when they failed to stow the big antenna on the rear of their comms jeep after field maneuvers and drove under the low-hanging electric trolley lines back at their garrison.

[Polybius]

In the event that you have a friend going to put up a circus tent, by all means, warn them. I'd hate to think a family member or friend of these folks would cruise through this thread and read some of the comments made on it. This is a time for sympathy, not explaining what a foolhardy thing these men did.

This was not a "circus tent". It was a large tent much like the ones that our Boy Scout troop takes to Camporees. I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster myself.

The poster made apologies in advance before he pointed out that it was a very dangerous thing to do.

In the coming year, at their next Camporee, you can bet your bippy that every Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster in America will be looking up for power lines before putting up their Troop's jumbo tent.

The rest of America would also benefit from such paranoia.

[LloydofDSS]

My heart goes out to these men and their families. We can all learn from what they did, but it will take quite a few man hours to piece together all the facts of this case. I would hope the men were aware of their situation, but odd things do happen. The big Aggie bonfire tragedy comes to mind.

[DoughtyOne]

Ah, you can't understand that I'm talking about a large tent much like a circus tent? Ah, nevermind. Evidently you guys think a whole coven of tent raisers are going to come by this thread and you'll save lives. At some point this gets rather dilusional. Later...

[Caipirabob]

When our pack is together, they are all "my children". I can't imagine the depth of grief they must all feel. My prayers for all of them.

[Polybius]

This was not a "circus tent". It was a large tent much like the ones that our Boy Scout troop takes to Camporees. I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster myself.....Polybius

Ah, you can't understand that I'm talking about a large tent much like a circus tent? Ah, nevermind. Evidently you guys think a whole coven of tent raisers are going to come by this thread and you'll save lives. At some point this gets rather dilusional. Later......DoughtyOne

These Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters were at a Boy Scout Jamboree and not setting up Ringling & Brother's Circus.

The tent in question is similar to the large tents many Boy Scout Troops have and take to Camporees.

What "circuses" have to do with all of this only you seem to know.

My point is that a senseless tragedy whose cause is swept under the rug lest feelings be hurt remains senseless and the victims have died in vain.

A tragedy whose cause is analyzed and where the lessons learned are incorporated into future safety protocols has at least served the purpose of saving lives in the future.

[Anticommie]

You obviously have never erected a large tent. They were raising the pole from inside the tent, and could not see the power lines overhead. Your callous and ignorant comments are totally uncalled for in this instance.

My comments were not ignorant, ignorant were people who lost their lives by raising the pole from inside the tent without checking for any obstacles outside. After all they were outside the tent before they get inside weren,t they?
I said in one of my post I am sorry that this tragedy happened and that this tragedy should have never happened.
And I stand by my comments, it was not my ignorance that this tragedy happened, if I was in charge there it would never happen.

[phoenix0468]

I'm sorry I haven't responded sooner. I realize my post may have sounded harsh, but there is a level of responsibility here. Those scout masters, and I do feel for their families, would not have been in this situation had they taken the time to assess their situation, and their environment. This is a very necessary process for any group to endeavor in. Not just the military or the Boy Scouts.

Please do not think I am saying these scout masters are too blame for anything but their own demise. But their fault was not having a better sense of awareness of what they were doing and where they were doing it.

These children may not even take that lesson away with them. Their memory will only focus on the tragic consequences and and not the proper planning that should have come prior to it.

I am not so insensitive as to not feel remorse for anyone who has died in a tragedy such as this. I guess people like me also think about the whatfors and whys of a situation as well.

phoenix out.

[DoughtyOne]

I think your post was fine. I'm not sure why I was so hardnosed myself. I appreciate the nice response and appologize for my comments. You were providing a service and I'm think I was wrong to object as I did.

Take care.

[Rhiannon]

The reason the term circus tent was used was because it had a center pole and was raised from inside. Design was like a circus tent. Not that it was a circus tent.


I think the reason the leaders failed to see was was going on was that it was late 4:30 pm it was in 100 degree heat and they were heat stupid and focused narrowly on getting the tent up for shade. Remeber these people were from Alaska and had a long trip and not accustom to the heat.

When a person is exhausted and overheated they do not think too well and get very narrowed focused at the task at hand. Plus They were inside the tent.

I would have thought that when they planned the placement they would have seen the overhead wires, but evidently did not to their fatal error.

This is a real tragedy and these were experienced leaders. I am not denigrating the dead but this is from human error. Nature is not always forgiving of mistakes.

My son is also at the Jamboree and he is the person who raises the dining tent. I sure hope he would have seen the wires in a similar situation. I think he would have since I have overhead wires in my yard at home and we are very consious of them with ladders and such.

I am glad to hear that one of the injured is returning to the Jamboree. I immediately thought about this accident that these leaders are fathers and have their own sons ussually at the Jamboree. One of the dead had twin 15 year old boys that saw their father die. This is a horrific tragedy.