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[Feraud]

I am glad to read the missing Boy Scout was found alive today.

Park rangers escorted a weak and dehydrated 12-year-old Boy Scout out of the rugged North Carolina mountains on Tuesday, four days after he wandered away from his troop's camp site.

Michael Auberry was brought the final distance by SUV, then carried into a ranger station, where a medical team and his parents met him.

"We have our missing Boy Scout," said a jubilant National Park Service spokeswoman Tina White.

White said she didn't have exact details about where or how Michael was found, but officials first received word shortly before 11 a.m. that he was spotted within a mile and a half of the camp site.

"Probably the most important thing we heard on the radio is A-1, which means he is in good condition," she said.

The radio communication from the search team that found Michael set off a celebration among leaders of several Scout troops waiting for news about the boy. "A lot of tears, a lot of hugs," White said, and members of Michael's church joined hands to pray at the staging area.

"This shows that when everybody works together, good things happen," said associate minister Susan Norman Vickers of Christ United Methodist Church. "We just believed that he was going to be found."

Earlier, the boy's father talked about his confidence in the rescue teams searching for his son in the damp, cool wilderness.

"What we got here is our son, who's lost, lost somewhere out there, and we don't know where he is," Kent Auberry said. "We've got great professionals looking for him. We're just waiting for the news."

Dog teams, about 70 people and a plane with heat-sensing equipment had been searching the rugged area around the camp site. Overnight temperatures were in the upper 30s to low 40s on Tuesday, milder than on Sunday night, when temperatures dropped into the 20s.

Michael vanished after lunch with his fellow Scouts and troop leaders on Saturday. His father said the adults and the other boys on the trip told him Michael had slept late but nothing appeared to have been wrong.

"He was in good spirits," Auberry said. "He ate lunch, chatting with the boys. He was walking around with I think some Pringles and a mess kit. The next moment, sounds like a blink of the eye, he was gone."

Authorities said the boy probably wandered into the woods to explore.

Searchers found Michael's mess kit a few hours after he disappeared and within a mile of the camp site. White said they had also found a candy wrapper and a potato chip bag.

While the weather has been chilly, White said Michael was wearing two jackets, one of them fleece.

As a Scout, Michael had had some wilderness training. His father also talked about one of Michael's favorite books when he was younger, a story about a boy whose plane crashes in the wilderness, and how the boy survives on his own.

"I think he's got some of that book in his mind," Auberry said. "They do a great job in the Scouts of educating the kids of what to beware of and tips. I'm hopeful that Michael has taken those to heart."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070320/ap_on_re_us/missing_boy_scout

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I supported my local Girl Scout troop last Saturday. Bought some cookies from them.


For some stupid reason, they've stopped carrying the best Girl Scout cookie of all: the sugar-free lemon one. Replaced it with a chocolate brownie mess.

.

 

[Feraud]

Back when I used to indulge I favored the tagalogs.

 

[Big Man]

That was indeed good news. Our Special Ops group was alerted to send a team early on in the search, so it makes finding the young man alive and well really good news.

 

[LadyStardust]

This is such a relief, especially as the initial story sounded fairly suspicious. This is practically all people around here have been talking about. I'm glad this is a happy ending.

And I have supported the Girl Scouts these past two months, I think I've bought close to 10 or so boxes of cookies, and given some away, but kept most. I have this mad addiction to Samoas.

 

[Elaina]

This is every leader's nightmare. I'm glad he was found.

 

[Big Man]

Here is a link to a follow-up article about the search for the missing Boy Scout:

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=46&id=53922

 

[fourstarbanner]

I'm a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. I know it sounds cheesy, but I spent my entire childhood slinging cookies and camping. I have my own troop of 4th graders, too.

I'm glad the Boy Scout made it home safe!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

My dad liked to remind me that when I was a child my dream in life was to grow up and be a den mother. Sad to say I have done neither. I do, however, support the Boy Scouts. My two step-grand-nephews love Scouting.

 

[Viola]

My dad liked to remind me that when I was a child my dream in life was to grow up and be a den mother.

Mine was to be the Nature Counselor at Girl Scout camp; I was the little girl who was always saving the bugs from being stomped on. I even developed a technique for humane catch-and-release of bees and yellowjackets to get them out of tents and cabins.

I was also the little girl who cried on the last day of overnight camp because I didn't want to go home. My mom was so embarrassed.

-Viola

 

[jamespowers]

I am glad he was found. They are kind of playing it close to the vest as too how much damage was done due to frost bite. His sister mentioning it was gross has me thinking it was pretty bad. I hope he makes a full recovery.
This is of course coming from an Eagle Scout.

Regards,

J

 

[Roger]

Excellent!:eusa_clap

 

[Trickeration]

I'm so close to my son's troop that this was pretty emotional for me, too. I've been around several of our boys for about 6 years now. I was so happy to hear he was found. I expect this will lead to many troops having "refresher" discussions on the buddy system and not wandering off, as well as not having one leader alone with one scout at any time.

 

[Lady Day]

I'm a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. I know it sounds cheesy, but I spent my entire childhood slinging cookies and camping. I have my own troop of 4th graders, too.

Heeeeeelo Eniminnie-cow cow mmmm chow chow, mmmm pe wa waaaah!!




LD

 

[fourstarbanner]

Oh yeah!! Its fun until all 15 of your 4th graders decide to have a contest to see who can yell it the loudest!...lol

 

[Feraud]

I'm so close to my son's troop that this was pretty emotional for me, too. I've been around several of our boys for about 6 years now. I was so happy to hear he was found. I expect this will lead to many troops having "refresher" discussions on the buddy system and not wandering off, as well as not having one leader alone with one scout at any time.

I expect the same is happening in my son's troop.

After reading this quote from the article it turns out my son read the same book and responded the same way.

As a Scout, Michael had had some wilderness training. His father also talked about one of Michael's favorite books when he was younger, a story about a boy whose plane crashes in the wilderness, and how the boy survives on his own.

"I think he's got some of that book in his mind," Auberry said. "They do a great job in the Scouts of educating the kids of what to beware of and tips. I'm hopeful that Michael has taken those to heart."

The book is called Hatchet, by Gary Paulson

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present -- and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair -- it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm so close to my son's troop that this was pretty emotional for me, too. I've been around several of our boys for about 6 years now. I was so happy to hear he was found. I expect this will lead to many troops having "refresher" discussions on the buddy system and not wandering off, as well as not having one leader alone with one scout at any time.

The buddy system always works. I am glad they are still teaching that. It is easier to survive with two people than one and it is not likely that you will have someone run off by themselves and get lost if the other buddy is watching out for them. There are times though......
I remember one camping expereince where we were camping in an area that had a waterfall and pond below. Our own troop stayed in the pool and only the older kids were allowed near it anyway.
Another group of kids was a bit less discerning. One of their boys actually fell off the falls onto the rocks below. Fortunately he only got a glancing blow to the head. It left quite a gash though. Our troop brought him back to camp and treated him while we waited for help to arrive. Fortunately we were all there and well trained for just such an emergency. Another case where he was alone without supervision. :eusa_doh:

Regards,

J

 

[Trickeration]

I'm glad the boy was okay. We had an awful accident with one of our boys during a cycling trip at the beginning of the school year even though there were many leaders present.

Our troop was riding from Long Beach to the Santa Fe Dam, about 27 miles away, for a camping trip. They were taking a cycling trail that runs mostly along the L.A. River wash. Several adults were with them, and they left only worrying about who would fizzle out before reaching the destination. Well, about midway into the trip, one boy hit a stone in the path big enough to cause him to lose control and tumble into the wash. He broke both arms. He missed several weeks of school, had to be fed, cleaned, and so on by his family. His arms had to be in casts, supported by braces that held his arms up in front of him. He's okay now, and everyone felt it was just one of those freak accidents. He's on the far right in this picture.

I really like the buddy system. It's not often you get 2 boys that are both roamers together. Most often, they remind each other to be careful.

Feraud- I'll have to check out the book. It sounds interesting. My son may like reading it.

Trix