Massachusetts camper dies in N.H. after bear scare

[wicket]

This is so sad :(

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/217/region/Massachusetts_camper_dies_in_N:.shtml

A 13-year-old attending a camp for underprivileged children collapsed and died after he was scared by a bear on a hike, authorities said Wednesday.

Antonio Hansel, of the Dorchester section of Boston, was hiking on Doublehead Mountain with a counselor from Camp Hale around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday when they came across the bear, the state Fish and Game Department said. Officials said the two ran away, and the bear did not chase them.

Fish and Game Sgt. James Goss said that as the boy ran he went into respiratory distress and collapsed. Authorities reached him about two hours later. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in Plymouth.

An autopsy was being conducted Wednesday. Goss said he did not believe the boy had any medical problems.

Camp Hale, for low-income children from the Boston area, is in its 104th year of operations. Its Web site says about 50 boys ages 8 to 13 attend the three-week camp sessions, whose goal is to enchance their sense of well-being and their potential.

[maxsolomon]

1. isn't asthsma a huge problem for inner city kids?

sounds like the fright brought on an attack. tough break.

i know nothing about asthsma except anecdotes.

[wicket]

2. It is

Here in Boston we often have "poor-quality" air days, and in certain parts it's better to stay inside on those days. I feel terrible for this kid's family :(

[0007]

3. This is an excellent example of how scaring folks can have

an adverse effect on human beings. (If the truth was known it was probably Tom Ridge's terror report.)

No more fake terror alerts

[Demoiselle]

5. It's surely an indictment of our health care system.

This poor kid and his family should have had regular access to ordinary, preventive health care...the kind of care known to us lucky ones as "checkups"...the kind of care we lucky ones take for granted...the kind of care that checks a child out and diagnoses potential problems BEFORE THEY KILL HIM.
There sure as shit are two Americas out there.
This story breaks my heart.

[Bowline]

7. I think you're making a bit of a leap on this one.

There simply is no way of knowing if this kid was healthy or not and no way of knowing if he dad access to health care. Just because he came from the city don't assume he had some undiagnosed medical condition.

[Mithras61]

8. It isn't THAT much of a leap...

this was, after all, a camp for underprivileged youths, which typically implies poor and otherwise unable to visit summer camps. I'm a bit surprised, though, that this wasn't detected during the physical that's usually required to attend any sort of extended stay at the camp. Extended is usually defined as more than 48 hours. Of course, those are BSA rules, so they may not apply...

[Demoiselle]

13. That's right, I made a leap.

Considering the appalling state of health care in this country, it's about time we all made such a leap.

[flamingyouth]

4. What a horrible story, to put it mildly

I wonder if an allergic reaction to something in the wild helped trigger this attack. I have asthma and have problems being out in the wilderness. Poor kid and his family - how sad.

[maxsolomon]

6. but attacks can be brought on by stress, right?

why did they RUN away? its not neccessary. i've never had a black bear do anything but mosey away from me, and i've run into them on trails maybe 10x.

i've never encountered a grizzly. and i plan on keeping it that way.

moose are scarier than black bears.

[shawcomm]

9. But, are you a thirteen year old city kid who's never seen a bear

up close and personal before?

(edited to clarify)

Kids run when they get scared. It's not fair to judge his reaction to something he's never encountered and wasn't likely briefed on what to do. Even if the camp people had told the kids what to do, how many would think to do it when the encounter happened suddenly.

[Old and In the Way]

17. Black bears can be dangerous.

You never, ever want to get between a bear and her cubs.

And a 13 year old coming across a bear in the backwoods would be frightened senseless.

[Monte Carlo]

10. Jesus... what a shame. I wish I knew more details.

This article is vague. It's very unusual for a boy that age to die of physical stress.

[wicket]

11. autopsy

The article said they were doing the autopsy today, so hopefully that will uncover the cause. So incredibly sad :(

[central scrutinizer]

12. The counselor should have known better

Running away from a bear is a mistake. They can run a lot faster than you can and are attracted by motion. First off, you want to be alert while hiking in the woods and watch for bear sign like scat on the trail. If you are in an area where bears are likely, you want to make noise - if I am hiking alone, I tie some bells on my pack or walking stick. Given a chance, a bear will get away from humans as quickly as it can. I have encountered bears many times in the woods and you just want to remain calm and make some noise. It is possible that just seeing the bear might have caused enough stress and anxiety to trigger an asthma attack and running away did not contribute.

[DeadHead67]

14. The reason inner-city kids have a higher percentage of respiratory. . . .

. . .problems is AIR QUALITY!!! HELLO! It goes without saying we need a change of regime, from top to bottom.

[Kadie]

15. 9 Year Old Girl Dies After Soccer Practice

Girl Dies After Soccer Practice In Antioch
Autopsies Fail To Determine Cause Of Death

POSTED: 9:16 am PDT August 4, 2004
UPDATED: 9:19 am PDT August 4, 2004

ANTIOCH, Calif. -- Authorities are trying to figure out why an apparently healthy 9-year-old girl suddenly collapsed and died after her first soccer practice.


Ariana Williams, who was a swimmer and took karate lessons, collapsed and died Monday night shortly after her first soccer practice at Grant Elementary School in Antioch.

"My only baby - and I saw it all," said her mother, Sheila Washington. "She was my best little friend. She was my whole life. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

Two autopsies Tuesday could not determine a cause of death, Sgt. Daryl England of the Contra Costa County coroner's officer told the San Francisco Chronicle. Authorities still plan to conduct further tests.

Williams, an active child, was determined to be healthy at a physical in June, her mother said.

more...
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/3615323/detail.html


These are very sad stories. My heart goes out to the families.

[wicket]

16. oh god :(

That's horrible :(

[wicket]

18. kick

:kick: