By Anita Snow
The Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — No charges are expected after a 16-year-old Boy Scout died while on a troop hiking trip in the Arizona desert, authorities said Friday.
Investigators looking into the death at Picacho Peak State Park April 27 don’t expect to file a criminal case, Pinal County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said.
She said there were two adults leading a small group of Scouts on a hike at the park in southern Arizona that features distinctive 1,500-foot Picacho Peak.Sheriff’s officials said the hikers had water when they left, but ran out at the top of the trail.
Josh White, identified as a student at Estrella Mountain High School in Goodyear, showed signs of extreme dehydration and died on the way down. It remained unclear if the lack of water led to his death or if he had some other medical issue.
The hikers called 911 but White was unconscious by the time a park ranger arrived. Two adults and one child were also evaluated by paramedics for exhaustion, but did not need to be taken to a hospital, officials said.
An online obituary said White was a member of the junior varsity football team at Estrella Foothills. The football team also posted condolences on Twitter.
A memorial service is scheduled May 10.
Outdoor enthusiasts are drawn to the park by several hiking trails that offer spectacular desert views, as well as by seas of wildflowers that explode in Picacho Peak’s shadow each spring.
It was unknown which trail the Scout was on when he began feeling ill, but the most difficult is the 2-mile Hunter Trail that goes to the top of the peak, climbing a steep and twisting route with steel cables anchored into bare rock surfaces.
The 3.1-mile Sunset Vista Trail starts out moderate and becomes difficult.
Andy Price, CEO of the Boy Scouts’ Grand Canyon Council, released a statement saying the organization is saddened by the teen’s death and is providing support for the family and the scouting community.
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