Making The Call

Our Troop had planned a canoe day trip down a local river last Saturday.

Despite a rainy week Saturday looked like a fine one for a paddle. I had checked water levels and the river seemed to be back to normal after having been swollen by the weeks rains. As we were assembling and getting set to go we were approached by a Waterways Conservation Officer who strongly suggested that we call off our trip.

The Tuesday before our trip two kayakers tragically lost their lives just upstream of our put-in spot. One of the bodies had yet to be recovered. The officer thought that it would be inadvisable for a group of Scouts to paddle this section as they may discover the lost body.

I assembled my fellow leaders out of earshot of the Scouts and we discussed our options. In the end we decided that the disappointment of missing the trip would be more bearable than the possible trauma of finding a body that had been in the river for several days. Of course the Scouts had figured out the subject of our conversation so the outing would have been preoccupied with the prospect had we decided to go.

That day the body was discovered by picnickers a mile or so below our put-in point. The day after a youth group had to be rescued from the river along our purposed route when their canoes became entangled in partially submerged trees.

I have told my Scouts, on several occasions, that we don't want to be in the newspaper or on television unless we have asked the reporters to show up. I am not totally risk-adverse but analyzing and avoiding unnecessary risk is part of any Scout Leader's job.

Comments

[CA Scouter]

Nice example of risk management. Looks like you got it right. Being concerned about finding a body in the water could really spook alot of Scouts (and adults). Under what conditions would you buck the advice of an official wilderness ranger or officer?

Should the SPL or lead scout for the event have been in on the conversation?

My son's troop had a trip cancelled at the last minute because of safety concerns a few months ago. In our case, I think it was overly cautious, but I will always back up the leader who's actually there making the call (assuming of course that the Guide to Safe Scouting policies are being adhered to).

[Clarke Green]

I would have to have an extraordinarily compelling reason to overrule advice from rangers or officers.

In most instances health and safety decisions are not made democratically. I tell all of our leaders up front that these are decisions I reserve the right to make myself. There are instances when such decisions must be made quickly and decisively and there is no time to get a consensus of opinion.

That being said I will ask my fellow leaders (adult and youth) for their opinions and try to go with the consensus when the situation allows.

I did not bring the SPL in on this particular decision. This was a go, no-go decision that had to be made quickly and I really did not need his opinion. I did explain the decision and the reasons for it at our PLC a day or two later.

After many years of outdoor leadership I study reports of incidents and accidents carefully in an attempt to understand how the happened and if they could have been foreseen and prevented. I have also had a few close calls and a couple of near-tragedies.

These experiences have taught me that when things go bad they usually go bad very, very quickly and there is little that can be done once they gain momentum. The accident that happens at step 756 can only be avoided at step 43. It takes some time to form that kind of foresight. I have an idea of it and feel fairly confident in making related decisions.

[Dan S.]

The right call, amid some very tragic circumstances. From the sound of it, you're in my neck of the woods (or reasonably close). Was that river the Brandywine?

[Clarke Green]

Our trip was,indeed, planned on the Brandywine.

[Larry Geiger]

I'm pretty sure that I would not have cancelled a trip because "The officer thought that it would be inadvisable for a group of Scouts to paddle this section as they may discover the lost body."

I'm pretty sure that I would have cancelled the trip because two other groups had already run afoul of dangerous conditions.

I have had a couple of trips get snarled up Saturday morning. We just go find a campsite in the national forest or see if something is available at our council camp, go and unload and enjoy the rest of the weekend as best we can.