Parents want answers after an 11-year-old Boy Scout mysteriously died in a boating accident. The young boy was on a trip with eight other troop members when the accident occurred. The boy's troop had gone to Manning Lake in New Hampshire. Sadly, it's a trip that the boy never returned from.
Although the incident happened in 2023, his parents are now suing both the Boy Scouts of America (currently called Scouting America) and its Daniel Webster Council for the boy's death. Jena and John Hubbard said they didn't expect never to see their son again. They claim that the Boy Scouts was negligent and didn't provide the proper level of supervision.
"I gave him a hug. I told him I loved him, and I said, "Have fun and be safe,' and that haunts me, because he was not safe," Jena recalled to Boston.com.
Meanwhile, the boy's father reflected on the days since.
Boy Scout Dies
"I am trapped in my own version of hell on Earth - a hell where the best part of my day is when I wake up, and for half a moment, I forget my son is dead," John told WBZ. "Some people say time heals, but that's not true. Time does not heal this."
Meanwhile, Scouting America released a statement about the death of the Boy Scout. It said it "continue[s] to grieve the loss of Keoni Hubbard following his tragic death." They continued, "We wish to, again, express our deepest condolences to Keoni's family and friends. We understand that a lawsuit has been filed involving Keoni, and we have not yet had an opportunity for a thorough review."
According to the family, Boy Scout leaders failed to properly supervise the troops.
"Eight scouts, including Keoni, ages 11 to 14, were placed on a small sport boat by an organization that irresponsibly entrusted the care and safety of those children to an utterly unqualified young boat operator," said the family's attorney Tucker Merrigan. According to the attorney, the boat operator was 18-years-old and only got his boating license a little over a week before.
The operator struck and killed the Boy Scott with a a boat propeller while he was swimming.
"We didn't want to sue the operator of this boat, but that's what the law dictates," Merrigan said. "And he was put in an impossible situation due to the complete disregard for any common sense by the leaders of the organizations that are also defendants."
