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American woman, 79, killed during African safari after elephant charges truck

A Minnesota woman died after her tour vehicle was charged by an elephant during a safari in Africa.

Gail Mattson, who was 79, was on safari at Kafue National Park in western Zambia on March 30 when a bull elephant approached her tour group’s truck, which was carrying six tourists and a guide.

The elephant ran toward the truck and flipped it over, as seen in a video shared on social media that appears to show the incident. 

Mattson’s daughter, Rona Wells, confirmed that her mother passed away while on safari, writing in an April 2 Facebook post that her mom “lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure.”

The tour company that operated Mattson’s tour, Wilderness, confirmed in an April 2 press release that an American tourist died after a tour vehicle was “unexpectedly charged” by an “aggressive bull elephant.’

“Our guides are extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” Keith Vincent, the CEO of Wilderness, said in a statement. 

Another female tourist was injured in the incident, and four other guests received treatment for minor injuries, according to Wilderness.

The tour company also said in a statement that Mattson’s body would be repatriated to the United States with help from Zambian authorities and the U.S. embassy in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.

This incident came after another situation involving an aggressive elephant occurred in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park last month.

In a video captured by a tourist that appears to show the moment, the elephant can be seen charging a safari tour truck and lifting it with its tusks. No one was hurt in that incident. 

These types of frightening run-ins with wildlife are quite rare during safaris, Marlon du Toit, a professional safari guide and wildlife photographer, told NBC News. 

Commenting on the fatal incident in Zambia, du Toit said “it’s extremely rare to see an elephant that irate react so aggressively.” 

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never had an encounter as aggressive (as) that with elephants,” he added.

He also told NBC News that he had worked with the tour company involved in the Zambia incident for years, and called them one of the best in Africa.

“Across Africa, there are thousands and thousands  of guests on safari on a daily basis, with no negative consequences,” he said.

Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.

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Wilderness therapy was supposed to help these ‘troubled teens.’ It traumatized them instead.

The bathroom consisted of a tarp tied between two trees.

When Katelyn Haruko Schmisseur used it, she made eye contact with a staff member. She squatted, they stared. A requirement of her wilderness therapy program, they told her. 

Because of her eating disorder, a staff member was with her at all times almost the entire length of her stay in the Utah desert. 

A bucket lined with a biohazard bag acted as a receptacle for solid waste. As the weather got warmer, the smell got stronger. The flies were incessant.

With only one roll of toilet paper a week to be split among 10 people, Katelyn would resort to cleaning herself with sticks and leaves.

"It was just so nasty," she says. "They didn't care. ... (It was) just another form of dehumanizing you and taking away your dignity."

She was 16 when she first arrived with only a few items, all stuffed into a 40-pound backpack.

The first activity? A grueling 3-mile hike.

“I was terrified. ... They make it very clear to you that you are a patient. You have no freedom. You have no choice.”

"I was terrified," says Katelyn, now 21.   "I missed my family more than anything. I just remember feeling so helpless. It's like you're living in this existence, but you don't have free will, you don't have autonomy, and they make that very clear to you. They make it very clear to you that you are a patient. You have no freedom. You have no choice."

Katelyn is one of many former campers coming forward to share their experiences with wilderness therapy, a type of treatment parents often turn to when they feel they need professional help for their kids and counseling isn't enough. 

In recent years, the "troubled teen industry," which includes reform schools and residential treatment facilities, has come under scrutiny as former students speak out about the alleged mistreatment they experienced. (One big name who has elevated the cause is Paris Hilton .) But as the industry overall inches toward reform, wilderness therapy tends to fly under the radar. 

That's because it's often billed as a shorter-term solution to problems (the typical wilderness program runs about 90 days), and there's also a lack of federal oversight into these private programs, experts say. In brochures and online, these programs look idyllic, touting an opportunity for children struggling with a myriad of behavioral issues to  "connect with nature"  and  "find hope and healing."  

But former campers who spoke with USA TODAY paint a different picture. They tell of being abused by staff, of fearing punishment at all hours. They describe living in filth. 

They call themselves survivors.

And, perhaps most telling, they say wilderness therapy served as the gateway to separate, longer-term residential treatment centers. Of the dozen former campers USA TODAY spoke to, nine were sent for further treatment. None say wilderness therapy helped them with their struggles. All described their experience as negative and traumatizing. 

Despite accusations of abuse and experts in the field denouncing this type of treatment, some remain staunch proponents of wilderness therapy, saying it worked for their families. And even with past lawsuits and viral horror stories, wilderness therapy is still a booming industry in the U.S. today. 

Despite allegations, deaths wilderness therapy lives on

Wilderness therapy has existed in some form for more than half a century, gaining steam in the ‘90s with programs promising the healing power of nature could cure any problems parents faced with their kids. The pandemic gave it an extra bump.

"Business was booming for them (during COVID-19)," says Jonathan Hyde, a former staffer who took a job at North Carolina-based wilderness program Trails Carolina in 2020. "People were at their wits' end at home, and their kids (were) acting up, so they (sent them) off." 

In the United States, there are about 40 wilderness therapy programs – part of 2,000 overall "troubled teen" programs, with anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 children now enrolled, says Bobby Cook, executive director and chief operational officer of Breaking Code Silence, a nonprofit that advocates against the troubled teen industry. The approaches of these programs vary, as do the reasons that parents send their teens to them.

USA TODAY reached out to wilderness therapy programs and their proponents, who defended their practices as enriching and beneficial to participants. Trails Carolina, for example, says it fully trains its staff, involves parents in the process and develops individual treatment plans for each student. Many claim those who completed the therapy fully recovered from disorders such as depression and anxiety.

But critics point to the number of allegations and deaths at wilderness therapy camps as a clear sign that parents, legislators and the media need to be looking more closely at these institutions. 

Among the fatalities: In 1990, 16-year-old Kristen Chase died of heatstroke three days after arriving at her wilderness program. In 2000, 15-year-old William Edward  Lee  died from a head injury after being restrained by staff; 14-year-old Ian August died of hyperthermia at his wilderness therapy program two years later. The same year, Charles Moody , 17, died of asphyxiation after being restrained. In 2005,  Anthony Haynes, 14, died while being punished at a wilderness boot camp. In 2007, Caleb Jensen , 15, died while at a wilderness camp, his body found bundled in a feces- and urine-soaked sleeping bag. In 2011,  Daniel Huerta , 17, died while being driven by a staff member. In 2016, 19-year-old  Lane Lesko died during an escape attempt at a hybrid wilderness-residential treatment center .

‘I was so desperate’

Most parents don't send their kids off to wilderness therapy at the first sign of a problem. Rather, kids wind up there after their parents feel they've exhausted all other options.

Katelyn's mother, Tessie Schmisseur, learned about wilderness therapy through a friend-recommended educational consultant, whom she describes as a "very demanding, pushy ... high-pressure salesperson." 

"I was just an anxious mom. I loved (Katelyn) to death," she says. "I was so desperate and desperately wanting to save my child from herself."

Katelyn had begun drinking and sneaking out, and that coupled with her bulimia had her parents panicked. They'd tried every punishment they could think of, including removing her door and boarding up her windows.

The final option? A wilderness therapy program called Evoke Entrada that the consultant highly recommended. 

Tessie was resistant. The consultant often rubbed her the wrong way, but she convinced the Schmisseurs the program was for the best. And in three days, Katelyn was shipped off to Utah, clueless about where she was going. 

"We had to pretend that everything was OK," Tessie says, choking up. "The education consultant all along was like, 'It's fine, I've worked with (the program before). You need to listen to me' ... And so we did. We did what we were told because we wanted the best for her. And in hindsight, it was the very wrong decision."

Hyde, the former staffer from a different program, says he remembers a 16-year-old girl who was at the top of her class and even held a manager position at her job. "The mom had died and the dad sent her away, because he found out that she (had become sexually active)," he recalls.

"The kid got sent away as this form of punishment. ... That's not therapeutic, right? You can't help people out while you're punishing them."

A spokesperson for Evoke said the program's goal is to help both children and parents.

"My experience is that the mass majority of everybody is having wonderful experiences," the spokesperson said, "but those who have wonderful experiences and speak out about it get bullied and shut down.”

‘I could barely move’

Kyra Frankowski says she saw no shortage of punishments during her stay at Second Nature Wilderness , where she was sent when she was 14.

With a plastic tarp for shelter, Kyra and her fellow campers battled freezing temperatures in Utah in January 2014, layering their few items of clothing to keep warm. 

Because there was often snow, the ground stayed wet. It once took them six hours to make a fire. 

This was one of several "consequences," or punishments, campers experienced if someone disobeyed a rule, she says. Unnecessary physical exertion was another, such as pack drills, where they were given under a minute to unpack and repack their bags. And it had to be done correctly, with the proper organization, or it would be repeated until it could be done within the time limit.

One night, her shoes were taken from her and she was forcibly wrapped in her tarp, she says. A staff member held down one side to prevent her from escaping, leaving an opening near her head to allow her to breathe. She says she stayed like that all night, unable to move. 

As a sexual assault survivor, Kyra was particularly distressed that a male staffer was sleeping next to her, holding her in place. "They'd wrap it so tight I could barely move my hands."

Second Nature did not respond to USA TODAY's multiple requests for comment about Kyra's allegations. 

Every other week, Kyra and her peers would take makeshift sponge baths, dipping a bandana into a bucket of water and dabbing it with a bit of soap. 

"At the end you would just rinse yourself off with whatever water was left over. It was very difficult to get properly cleaned."

During the coldest months, she says, campers would forgo these baths altogether in favor of staying warm.

"We were very dirty." 

‘I would not wish this on anybody’

Tessie cried every day while her daughter was away, but Katelyn never knew. 

"They would tell us ... 'You may not tell her that you love her. You may not tell her that you miss her; you may not give her any hope of coming home." And, Tessie says, the staff would dismiss and discredit anything negative about the program that was conveyed in Katelyn's letters, telling her family: "She is going to say whatever (it takes) because, of course, she wants to come home."

But the conditions, as they learned later, "were horrible." 

"We weren't aware of all this," Tessie says through tears. "I would not wish this on anybody, knowing what I know now. I always tell her she's the most courageous person I know."

Katelyn feared retaliation if she spoke freely about what she was witnessing. 

"You couldn't complain. It really broke me down to the smallest I've ever been in my life. It was terrifying. ... I remember just feeling like I had no voice. I had nothing."

A spokesperson for Evoke said students' letters are not monitored, but parents may send letters to the therapist for feedback.

Evoke is committed to the "emotional and physical safety" of participants, the spokesperson said, adding the program encourages anyone with complaints of abuse or mistreatment to report their concerns. "We support healing and growth and that can only happen in the context of emotional safety."

The spokesperson added, "Anybody who experiences abuse from any program should have their voice heard. Any program that practices punitive, shameful, controlling, coercive, intimidating behavior should be reprimanded, if not shut down."

‘I didn’t feel prepared’

A nature enthusiast, Hyde, 35, had years of experience with recreational outdoor activities. So when the pandemic left him unemployed, he got a job as a "wilderness field instructor" at Trails Carolina. 

He was familiar with the reputation of the wilderness therapy industry. In 2014, 17-year-old Alec Lansing died while running away from the same program. But Hyde assumed the claims of mistreatment he had heard whispers about had improved. 

He says now that notion was wrong. 

According to its website , the program's groups are led by "experienced, licensed therapists who specialize in working with youth who fit their group’s profile."

"There was a couple of weeks there where the licensed therapist wouldn't even show up to that group, and it was her assistant who didn't even have credentials," he says. "If you're paying that much money, I would think you'd be getting therapy multiple times a week."

When reached for comment, Trails Carolina said primary therapists are on site "two to three days per week" to oversee each participant's individualized treatment plan and monitor progress. 

"Therapeutic progress occurs seven days a week in the field through the assignments, activities and challenges outlined in each student’s treatment plan to help them grow emotionally and develop transferable skills that can be used outside the program in real life," Trails Carolina said in an emailed statement.

While students also participated in activities like art or yoga once a week, Hyde doesn't believe most campers got the professional help they needed. 

"Whenever the therapist did come in, it was pretty rare that they actually would talk to us – the people that had been with the kids for this lengthy amount of time – just to see how the week had (gone)."

The remainder of the 24/7 schedule was spent with field instructors like himself, who he felt were ill-equipped to handle the level of care some of the campers needed. 

"Some of these kids are trying to kill themselves. I didn't feel really prepared for exactly what I was getting into."

That was in part, he says, because what was supposed to be a five-day training was cut in half and mostly focused on what type of gear they were allowed to bring, what tools and restraints they would have at their disposal. Hyde says he was let go when he pushed back on some of the program's practices. 

Trails Carolina says its staff partakes in a long list of training, including sessions in first aid, nutrition, suicide prevention and crisis de-escalation. The program denied Hyde's version of events and said he was dismissed for violating the program's policies and philosophies. 

Cook, of the nonprofit Breaking Code Silence, says there's often a disconnect between what programs promise and what they deliver in almost every area, from credentials to care.

"A lot of programs, not all of them but a lot, have had experiences where the staff of the schools are not certified to be doing what they're doing," Cook says. "There are therapists who weren't necessarily qualified in that area to be working in that realm."

As a mom, Tessie trusted the nearly $60,000, three-month Evoke Entrada program would have top-notch staffing. 

"They're going to take care of her, the counselors are there, don't worry about it," she remembers telling herself. "But it really appeared that they were young adults watching over them that weren't really equipped or specialized. Just older kids watching over younger kids."

The program wielded more power over Tessie and her family than she expected.

"They just made it seem like (she was) such a rotten kid and that she couldn't come home after the wilderness program," she says, instead suggesting Katelyn go to an aftercare program.

In her heart, Tessie felt it was time for Katelyn to come home, but the smiling photos she received of Katelyn at camp helped convince her that everything was fine. 

Plus, after spending so much money on the program, she wanted to believe in it. Tessie's parents loaned her $20,000 to cover the cost of Katelyn's aftercare after the wilderness program had put a strain on them financially.

"It's just misleading to parents," she says. 

‘Just trying to survive’

During the intake process, staff stripped Katelyn of all her clothes, jewelry and electronics.

In return, she was given three pairs of underwear, one T-shirt, a pair of cargo pants, socks, shoes and a sleeping bag – nothing that would help her keep track of time.

She understood this to be an intentional strategy to "strip us of our autonomy."

Kyra's program also kept her in the dark about timelines and release dates.

"They don't tell you even around when you might be leaving because that's 'future tripping.' 'You're getting lost in future thought,'" she recalls being told. Instead, she was told to stay focused on the present, which was "very difficult" given the circumstances.

“I felt like I was stripped down to my most vulnerable points. That’s what they would say was the point. They were trying to ‘break us down so they could build us back up.’”

"I felt like I was stripped down to my most vulnerable point," she says. "That's what they would say was the point. They were trying to 'break us down so they could build us back up.'"

The breaking down she felt – but not the building up.

"We were just at our most raw, vulnerable state, just trying to survive."

Hyde remembers a student who "basically snapped" after finding out, instead of getting out and going back home, his family was sending him to a therapeutic boarding school.

"He fought so hard that he went unconscious and was limp in my arms," Hyde recalls. "The thought that I had a dead child in my arms – that was terrifying."

Hyde says the teen eventually recovered. ​​​​​Trails Carolina said the program has no record of a participant falling unconscious in the field.

Why critics say wilderness therapy fails

It's true, nature can be healing . And a nontraditional therapy route can be beneficial for some people. There are people who say wilderness therapy saved their lives, and some parents insist it stopped their children from going down a destructive path. 

Michael Gass, a professor in the Outdoor Education Program at the University of New Hampshire and director of the  Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center , say his years of research led to positive findings, showing wilderness therapy to be safe and effective. 

But critics have lambasted his findings as it has ties to the leaders of some of these institutions. (In 2018, Gass co-wrote a study with Steven DeMille, the executive director of a Utah-based wilderness program at the time.) Gass also acknowledged no randomized controlled trials have proved the efficacy of wilderness therapy. 

Others argue even if wilderness therapy is effectual for some, its premise is flawed.

"If a child is yanked out of his or her home, taken to somewhere that they are highly resistant to – we're now adding the element of additional trauma," says Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist and author of "Joy from Fear." 

“If a child is yanked out of his or her home, taken to somewhere that they are highly resistant to – we’re now adding the element of additional trauma.”

When it comes to trauma-informed care, it's critical that participants have both consent and bodily autonomy, said Andrew Kerbs, who holds a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. But during his time as a clinical intern at Trails Carolina, he saw neither. 

"Those are two things that are completely robbed of the kids that are being sent to these programs," said Kerbs, who worked for the program in 2016.

He doesn’t believe using a punishment-based model is helpful, either.

“Whether that's the intention or not is besides the point. Intentions are important, but impact is still the most important … and a lot of kids are coming out of these feeling like it was a punishment. They didn't have a choice.”

Programs may take in kids dealing with a laundry list of challenges, from rebellious behavior and video game addictions to eating disorders and violent tendencies. And then, Cook says, some programs may often attempt to resolve issues in group therapy that may rely on tactics like "attack therapy," in which one child is singled out to discuss their struggle. Experts agree this approach is not the preferred solution. 

If programs pathologize some teen behaviors, parents are often frightened, leaving them to feel as if sending their kid away is their only option. This messaging may be underscored by consultants recommending the programs.

"Instead of saying to a parent, 'Your kid is starting to have sex, and I know that's scary, but here's what we can do to better support them.' They're saying, 'Oh my God, they're gonna end up as a prostitute. You better send them away so they don't end up pole dancing,'" says Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of the prevention organization  Unsilenced , who also holds a degree in psychology.

It's normal for preteens and teenagers to push limits as they establish their identity. 

"They're testing out what it feels like to be independent, what it feels like to make your own decisions," she says. "During these times you're going to see kids sneaking out, breaking the rules ...  going against authority."

She urges parents to understand the implications of labeling their child as "troubled" or "a problem."

A survivor of the troubled teen industry herself, she cautions, "It really follows you throughout your life." 

The lasting impact of wilderness therapy

Appelgate still lives with the effects of the treatment program she attended at 15. She wakes up to panic attacks because she was abducted in the middle of the night to be transported to her program. She eats quickly because otherwise she wouldn't have a chance to get more food.

"It becomes habit," she says. "These little things that they think aren't affecting kids are highly affecting them."

Through Appelgate's work, she has seen wilderness therapy survivors suffering with a variety of mental health challenges, from post-traumatic stress disorder to anxiety and depression. 

After being cut off from the world, it can be difficult to reintegrate into society. Relationships can suffer, including between a parent and child. A strong distrust in authority figures can form.

"Trauma, even though it may be one incident, can certainly cause pervasive long-lasting damage in many areas of life that may seem wholly unrelated to the causal incident," Manly says.

Appelgate sees trauma coming from two main sources, from the experience itself and from being sent away and forced to live without a support system.

"Some people legitimately may have a good experience. I think that for 99% (of people), that's not the case," Appelgate says. 

This is because the same event can be perceived differently depending on the person. One child may experience something as traumatic while another doesn't, Manly explains. 

Research shows stress affects the nervous system and can even cause  structural changes in the brain , which can change how we think and alter our memory. Stress can also weaken our immune system and exacerbate preexisting health conditions like cardiovascular disease or respiratory problems. 

"The earlier (in life) the trauma, typically the more impactful it's going to be and the longer lasting impact we're going to see from that trauma," says Whitney Goodman, licensed psychotherapist and author of "Toxic Positivity." 

‘What happened ... shaped my entire personality’

Programs do a "really good job of explaining things away to parents," Appelgate says, whether it's a negative review (look at the positive ones, too!), an active investigation or even a death.

They do this by telling parents they've changed policies so a certain incident "won't happen again," blaming it on staffers whom they've since fired or changing the name of a program to escape bad PR. Katelyn's program, for example, used to be named Second Nature Entrada but went through a rebrand in 2015 after  years of abuse allegations.  

Plus, experts question whether improvement in a child based on forced change equates to actual improvement. 

"You can create compliance through punitive measures, but that's not equipping somebody with the resources to show up in the world as an autonomous adult," Kerbs says.

“You can create compliance through punitive measures, but that’s not equipping somebody with the resources to show up in the world as an autonomous adult.”

With more than 75,000 pieces of information on more than 3,500 programs (both shuttered and operating), Unsilenced says its searchable program archive is helping to force transparency by making info easily available for both parents and survivors. 

But there's an urgent need for federal oversight, advocates say.

Looking back on their experiences, Kyra and Katelyn's voices have strengthened, aided by the community of survivors they've bonded with online. TikTok has served as an informal support group, with the hashtag #wildernesstherapy garnering more than 147 million views.

But for Kyra, the anxiety and depression she entered camp with never improved. On top of that, she was diagnosed with PTSD and her relationship with her parents disintegrated. 

"I just didn't trust them," she says. "I didn't want to tell them anything I was struggling with."

Katelyn remembers thinking that once she was back home, things were going to get better and "everything was going to be perfect."

It wasn't. 

Wilderness didn't help her eating disorder. After being released from both her programs, she had the hardest relapse she'd ever had.

Now living in Orange Country, California, a senior in college, she has come a long way. But her past still stares her down.

"What happened to me there has shaped my entire personality," she says. She has still struggled with bulimia in the years since her release, and she now suffers from PTSD and manic depression.

"If anything, I’m so much worse off after these programs. They ruined my life." 

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Man dies after alleged assault at wilderness resort

A 25-year-old man from Toronto has succumbed to his injuries following severe head trauma in what police say was an alleged assault at Wilderness Tours in Beachburg, Ont.

Jerry Azevedo, 28, is in custody in relation to the incident and his next appearance in court is Aug. 18. He was charged with aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm.

Police responded to a call on Sunday and the victim, who is from Toronto, was rushed to the Ottawa Hospital.

The injured man's name has not been officially released.

Wilderness Tours offers whitewater rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping and other outdoors activities, and is located about 130 kilometres northwest of downtown Ottawa, near Renfrew.

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Elephant attack leaves American woman dead in Zambia's Kafue National Park

By Sarah Carter , Adam Duxter

Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 6:13 PM EDT / CBS News

Johannesburg — An elephant attack that left an American woman dead in Zambia was captured in harrowing cellphone video over the weekend. The clip, shot by tourists in Zambia's Kafue National Park, begins inside an open safari vehicle during a game drive.

In the distance, a large bull elephant can be seen coming toward the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard, saying: "Oh my goodness," before a man says, "it's coming fast."

The vehicle stops and then another voice, presumably the game ranger, tries to ward off the elephant verbally as the large pachyderm hooks its tusks onto the vehicle and rolls it several times.

Family members  confirmed that Gail Mattson, a 79-year-old Minnesotan, was killed in the attack. In the post on Facebook, Rona Wells said her mother had died in "a tragic accident while on her dream adventure."

Mattson, a retired loan officer, was 11 days into a month-long vacation overseas, her family told WCCO, describing her as "adventurous" and "loved by everybody."

Wilderness Safaris, which operates the tour in the Zambian park, said in a statement that it was cooperating with national authorities to investigate the incident and it offered condolences to Mattson's family.

Wilderness said the other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans, four of whom sustained minor injuries in the attack.

"Our guides are extremely well trained, but sadly the terrain and vegetation was such that the route became blocked," the company said, explaining that the ranger "could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough."

Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.

Kafue National Park is Zambia's largest national park at 8,650 square miles. It's a popular tourist destination as it's home to five of sub-Saharan Africa's iconic big animal species, lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros and buffalo.

Sarah Carter is an award-winning CBS News producer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been with CBS News since 1997, following freelance work for organizations including The New York Times, National Geographic, PBS Frontline and NPR.

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'I do feel the bivy had a lot to do with it' New details emerge in Trails Carolina case

by Jennifer Emert

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Trails Carolina employees admit some responsibility to law enforcement in the February death of a 12-year-old boy at the wilderness therapy program. It’s detailed in a recently-released survey conducted by the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation. In the report, employees told law enforcement there were issues with the zipper on the sleeping bivy, they could have done a better job at the night checks of children in their care, and worry the 12-year-old could have suffocated.

According to surveyors, Trails Carolina, located in Lake Toxaway, would not provide its internal investigation of the 12-year-old’s death despite the Division of Health Service Regulation's three separate requests made for the report during its survey. At one point, the founder told state surveyors they were unsure if the report was complete.

Among the state’s findings, they determined staff did not complete the required night checks on the 12-year-old, which “failed to provide the required supervision.” It also found Trails Carolina client’s rights from harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation were not protected.

Night checks were to be done three times per night at 12 a.m., 3 a.m., and 6 a.m. and according to Trails Carolina’s policy, this involved staff checking to see kids are breathing, are OK in their tent, and do a head count. Because it was the 12-year-old’s first day he was to be “on safety,” which meant he was required to sleep on the floor of the cabin in a sleeping bivy and a staff member would sleep parallel nearby, within arms reach. A solid plastic sheet called a canoe was placed around the outside of the bivy and the sleeping pad and bag went inside.

At 6 a.m. on Feb. 3, Staff member #3 who was responsible for doing "night checks" told surveyors, "I thought I heard shallow breathing from the tent or at least that area, but couldn’t determine if the breathing was from staff or the 12-year-old. The top of his sleeping bivy, the weather poof area was zipped closed so the child couldn’t be seen." Later in the report it was made clear, the mesh/breathability/visibility portion of that sleeping contraption had the zipper break, and so the alarm placed on the zipper, was secured to the solid portion, the wind shell part or outer layer instead. At 7:45 a.m. when staff started to wake the boy up, he was “not getting up.”

WNC WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAM REMAINS SUSPENDED WITH PLAN OF CORRECTION UNDER REVIEW

Staff claims, “all we could see out of the head side of the bivy was a foot.” A staff member undid the alarm and unzipped the bivy, but there was no movement. A metal alarm pin for the bivy was observed to be on the outer zipper that was black and had black tape on it along with a black hair tie and was attached to the metal zipper with a black zip tie.

According to the report, staff told local law enforcement there was an issue with the zipper on the 12-year-old’s bivy and it took a tool bag, but other portions of the report are blacked out.

A check by staff around 3 a.m. reported that the 12-year-old was breathing heavily.

Staff couldn’t verify that the 12-year-old was present during his night checks because they couldn’t physically see inside the bivy. The staff just reported that they could tell it was occupied and heard breathing from that space, but told investigators, “I didn’t check as thoroughly as I should have... My actions that night was to perform night checks, that was my responsibility, which I failed on.” They also told investigators, “I do feel like the bivy had a lot to do with it, (the 12-year-old passing away)" “Suffocation is always possible if equipment is being used wrong,“ they told law enforcement.

The Division of Health Service Regulation’s findings say that supervisors “failed to provide the required supervision that protected (the 12-year-old) from harm and neglect and failed to follow internal procedure for increased sleeping modification with the bivy.”

One of the children interviewed with their parent present told health investigators that staff has headlamps for night checks and on the night of the 12-year-old’s death they, “did not see any lights that night.”

'I WAS NOT SAFE' FORMER TRAILS CAROLINA CAMPERS CALL FOR CHANGE AMID ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

A staff member, identified in the report as Staff 4, was assigned to the 12-year-old since he was placed on “safety." They advised the Department of Health Service Regulation interviewers there would be “no comment." State health regulators reviewed Staff 4’s interview with local law enforcement. While much of the report section is blacked out and redacted, it does say, “nodded and answered 'yes' to the questions do you think he suffocated?” They told investigators he and the camp were responsible for the 12-year-old’s death. When asked what they could have done, they responded “I could have opened it up, repositioned him (in the bivy).”

At one point the 12-year-old boy was let out of the bivy once but was later required to reenter the bivy. According to a logistics coordinator, there was one bivy per group.

The executive director told health surveyors that Trails Carolina started using the bivy system with an alarm in the middle of the fall of 2023 and told the inspector, it “felt like it gave a better sense of privacy and easier to digest than the ‘burrito’ for clients.” They told inspectors they had never had issues with the bivy before and claimed other wilderness programs used a bivy. The founder later told surveyors, “I know what licensing standards are and what’s best practice,” but said they “Didn’t have a lot of first-hand knowledge about bivy system.”

The ‘burrito’ has been described by former Trails Carolina clients as a tarp that students were required to place their sleeping bag on the edge of and get in. Then staff would roll them in the tarp like a burrito and sleep on either side, or the ends as a way of notification if the client attempted to get out of the contraption or attempted to run away.

The report indicates when Trails Carolina was asked, “what immediate action will the facility take to ensure the safety of the consumers in your care,” they responded, the “four staff present on the evening of Feb 2-Feb 3 were put on leave after the incident. All students are discharged on Feb 16 (2024).”

The facility implemented the bivy system for new admissions and for clients on the highest level of supervision in the fall of 2023. If a client needed to use the bathroom, they would have to ask staff to let them out of the sleeping system. Using the burrito or taco, staff were sleeping on top of a piece of plastic that was wrapped over or around the client’s body. The state found using these systems, clients “were not provided dignity or respect as evidenced by having to sleep on the floor of the cabin with a thin sleeping pad, surrounded by plastic that was tied at two ends, while the other clients in the same cabin were able to sleep on bunk beds with mattresses.” The staff assigned to sleep within arms reach of the student on “safety” were also allowed to sleep on mattresses. The report finds, “The facility failed to implement their own policies and protocols regarding increased sleeping precautions by not having same-sex staff sleep within arms reach of clients at least 23 times between 11-18-23 and 12-28-23 with five different clients.”

According to inspected records, 11 clients were on “safety” for 72 hours more than once. That’s despite Trails Carolina’s policy that safety would range from 18 to 72 hours. Staff could move clients up a level to the “safety” designation but only a therapist could move them down, and while therapists had knowledge of the bivy system and assigned it, according to interviews, “they did not have working knowledge of how the system worked or how it was implemented.” According to the report, parents were also not made aware of the use of enhanced supervision for sleeping for all new clients at admission. Even the founder told health inspectors they didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the bivy system.

Trails Carolina said it filed its incident report and all known client information to the state’s reporting system called IRIS. The internal investigation was not uploaded into the database, but information was given to surveyors that its counsel would have that documentation. Trails Carolina’s response says in the future an internal investigation report beyond the incident report will be submitted. The internal Investigation review will occur within 24 hours of the incident and will include a review of the client record to determine the facts and causes of the incident.

When it comes to protection from harm, abuse, neglect, or exploitation, Trails Carolina said it has made recommendations for changes, but does not fully agree with the surveyor's findings. Trails Carolina will provide an overnight awake staff member with clients put on “safety.” They say they will no longer use bivy’s or burritos even though they claim these have been "state-approved interventions for safety for the past 15 years.” They also point out that “the bivy policy does NOT require staff to be same sex.” They also point out the state has signed off on the policy of students sleeping on a sleeping pad on the floor in a cabin for the past 15 years until now.

The report also found that Trails Carolina failed to ensure that medications were administered on the written order of a physician affecting 8 of 10 audited clients 8 or 9 audited former clients and the 12-year-old who died at the program. Trails Carolina staff also failed to document the strength or time some medications were given along with the quantity. It also missed dosages of medications due to a “lack of supply.”

In response to the finding, Trails Carolina said going forward each client will be required to arrive with signed physician’s orders and qualifying documents that include signed prescription copies, a physician’s signed letter, a signed physician’s over-the-counter form, and other prescription documents. Should a client arrive without appropriate medication approvals, admissions will follow up with the family the same day. If a client arrives without prescriptions and the family is unable to provide the needed documentation, an appointment will be scheduled with the Trails consulting psychiatrist, to take place within 48 hours. Physicians' orders will be followed as written.

News 13 reached out to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about where the investigation and efforts to revoke the program's license stand. NC DHHS told News 13 the following:

The recent investigation of Trails Carolina by DHHS’ Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) identified a number of serious and concerning issues that are documented in the Statement of Deficiencies dated 3/21/2024. Our investigation resulted in an intent to revoke Trails Carolina’s license, a suspension of admissions, and penalties totaling $18,000.

An informal conference was held yesterday (Tuesday) with Trails Carolina, at their request. DHSR staff will make a final decision regarding the organization’s license in the coming weeks. We are unable to provide further comment based on the ongoing investigation.

DHSR believes that no one should be harmed while receiving care in a licensed healthcare facility and takes seriously its role to investigate complaints about care and, when necessary, takes appropriate actions against a licensed facility that has caused such harm.

TRAILS CAROLINA RESPONDS TO STATE'S INTENT TO REVOKE PROGRAM'S LICENSE

North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulations surveyors also found Trails Carolina to be in violation of rules around 24-hour contact. Surveyors found clients were not able to communicate and consult with their parents or guardians and make or receive phone calls without the presence of Trails Carolina staff or a therapist present. Students, according to Trails Carolina’s policies, were only able to receive mail from family members or an adult approved by the parent/guardian and the primary therapist. All incoming mail was screened prior to delivery. Interviews with many clients revealed they were only able to talk to their parents when they were with the therapist. Some parents were only able to speak with their child’s therapist, not the child. Some clients were able to call or have a video chat with their parents, but the calls typically included the therapist.

Trails Carolina’s response points out the general statute that gives clients the right to call their parents or guardians does NOT state the calls need to be confidential. They say therapists facilitate calls as minor clients enrolled at Trails have a number of special needs, including but not limited to diagnosis, intellectual and developmental needs, mental health needs, technological needs and the reason for being at Trails is to receive mental health services. The calls are family therapy sessions.

They say should students request calls to parents, the requests will be considered by the primary therapists and parents. If a call is not granted, it will be documented why.

In response to the recently-released survey conducted by the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation, Trails Carolina sent News 13 the following statement:

We believe the DHHS Report of Deficiencies is inaccurate and misleading in many respects, and we continue to work with State officials to clarify and correct where needed. In fact, just yesterday, April 23, 2024, we met with DHHS staff in person, and walked them through basic camping lexicon and systems, which, by their admission, they did not previously understand. Most importantly, the cause of death has yet to be released by the medical examiner, and, in the meantime, statements by anyone beyond those with authority and direct access to specifics of the autopsy are nothing more than speculation.

Wilderness Tours

Updated 2 months ago

Review Highlights

“ Their resort is *awesome*, with a night club, 3 volleyball nets, bungee jumping , rock climbing, hot tub, camping grounds and cabins. ” in 5 reviews

“ Nothing like the rush of facing a 12 ft wall of white water coming right at your face to get your blood pumping. ” in 4 reviews

“ I prayed that our raft wouldn't turn over or that I wouldn't get tossed out of the raft in the rough water and need to swim to safety somehow. ” in 6 reviews

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1260 Grants Settlement Road

Foresters Falls, ON K0J 1V0

Serving Foresters Falls Area

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For almost 50 years, Wilderness Tours has been providing guests with the ultimate Canadian experience. With activities and accommodation to suit every budget, there's something for everyone at Wilderness Tours. Located along the shore of the mighty Ottawa River in Ontario just an hour west of Ottawa, Wilderness Tours is Canada's premier adventure destination. Spend your days whitewater rafting, kayaking, and hiking, and mountain biking. Then relax at our 600+ acre resort, enjoying our full bar and restaurant, sandy beaches, mountain bike park, and cozy accommodations. …

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This was an epic family trip. Full stop. Book it with your kids and fit grandparents. 6 of us went on their family tour, Grandpa (a fit 78), Mom, Dad (mid 40's) and 3 kiddos 8, 10, 11. This was perfect adventure trip for our family. From start to finish, it was a great introduction to white water rafting. Our guide, Monte, who was the trip leader was perfect for our group. He did an amazing job at leading both the entire trip and as a guide for our group. He answered questions, made sure we had fun, was encouraging - he read our group perfectly and made sure our adventurous kiddos had a great time and made sure our tentative 8-year-old felt safe and supported through the entire trip. Lucy, a guide on another boat, also helped our 8-year-old with her fears with words of encouragement and helped her by swimming with her on a section where she was able to float through a set of rapids. Safety was a top priority for the trip, water was flowing moderately fast for our trip, once the kids under 90lbs needed to walk down while the adults went through, and ones that all boats skipped, there was never a time where we felt that things were out of control. The trip is definitely in the wilderness, there are a few times where it's expected that you are able to exit the boat and navigate shoreline terrain. Top notch experience, worth the money for sure.

If you're going specifically for the rafting or kayaking the experience is incredible. From check you do an orientation with a big projected screen and the onto the buses, where people get life jackets, paddles and helmets, you're sorted into groups and the instructors are incredibly energetic and helpful. Our instructor was Dennis who kindly rearranged our boat members to make falling out less likely (although we were all hoping for a fallout it never happened, however we all jumped off after the last rapid for fun). He gave very clear instructions and was also willing to be camera man for part of the trip. We stopped for a lunch break with bbq burgers, sausage, soup, cookies and drinks and on to more rapids. People gave back their equipment and the bus took us back to the resort. The only reason I gave 4/5 was because the resort itself was a bit lacking. The volleyball, basketball, giant chess and bungee jumping were all fun, however they advertise hot tubs and there are only 2 four person hot tubs that were full the entire time. We had over 100 people that day rafting and kayaking and since only 8 people can hot tub at once the numbers don't add up, on top of that when people were leaving the hot tubs they called their friends over to take their spots. We couldn't really call them out and staff didn't say anything even though people were waiting with towels. Another feature of the resort we couldn't use was the rock climbing wall. It's there however the lead climbs had no ropes through the carabiners and not a single staff member was attending to them, we waited a bit but no one was there to offer harnesses or equipment or even info on the use of the rock wall. Besides these resort flaws, the main reason people go is for white water rafting and in this aspect it's an amazingly fun time!

See all photos from Matt W. for Wilderness Tours

Tried to book a cyber week deal, checked out with 40% off for kayak school activity, service rep contacted me couple times and realized they only offer 20% for kayak school. No apology, no explanation, only tell me do 20% or go away. Rafting business is naturally associated with some danger, I will totally avoid a business retreats customer as they are always RIGHT when they are not. Did rafting over weekends at July 2019. Luckily nothing serious happened at the time.

Reply from rep

Wow this place is amazing! I recently went on a weekend rafting trip with some friends who have been coming to Wilderness Tours for years but this was my first shot at white water rafting. We arrived at 5pm on Friday and were quickly registered and given our choice camp site right near the main building, bathrooms/showers, campfire, etc... The trip included 3 meals on Saturday and two on Sunday as well as the rafting on Saturday, all the equipment, the camping and the use of the facilities. Since dinner wasn't included on Friday we ordered from the patio while listening to some great jazz music from a local group. My friend and I both ordered the club sandwich, which was served on a delicious focaccia bread. The food for the rest of the weekend was really good as well. Burgers for lunch on Saturday and chicken breast for dinner. Friday night concluded with a great time around the campfire where all the campers came to socialize. On Saturday we were booked on the 2pm "sunset" trip, which meant we were on the water from 3pm till 7:45. This was perfect since it gave us all morning to recover from the night before. The rafting itself was amazing. Nothing like the rush of facing a 12 ft wall of white water coming right at your face to get your blood pumping. Our guide Katie was really great. Very social and great on the river. We did everything from paddling our hearts out in the rapids to cliff jumping to surfing a wave (a.k.a. controlled drowning lol). They had guys in kayaks taking pictures and filming us throughout the day. When we came back, we had the chance to view some of the highlights from the day on the big screen back at camp. One of the coolest part of the weekend was that Bud Camp was hosting their event at WT. We had no idea until we showed up. Everyone was invited to come see the bands performing on Saturday night, which had USS playing the main show. Even though it was pouring rain and we were soaked, USS' crazy antics on stage and a bunch of scantily clad rain soaked Bud girls made up for it. :) Finally, we decided to end the weekend with an early morning bungee jump. If you book ahead of time you save about $13. This was my first jump and I survived to write this review. It was definitely one of the best rush I've ever experienced. I strongly recommend this to EVERYONE who comes to Wilderness Tours. Ask to be dunked in the water at the bottom. You won't regret it. I'm already looking forward to coming back next year!

This place is phenomenal. I will be heading back this summer for my third time. Normally do the two day rafting tour. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those not faint of heart. The weekend outing costs less than 300 dollars... includes camping, ALL FOOD, two days of white water rafting on the mighty Ottawa river. The place has a great restaurant... dock and waterfront for swimming, BUNGEE jumping! Dance club for partying, basketball, mountain bike rentals, volleyball, kayaking. Check out the website. I have gone just me and a buddy, and I have also brought a crew of 16 people. Fantastic time!!

Staff was friendly, food was awesome. I just felt like the resort activities (basketball, hockey, volleyball) on the grounds were outdated or need a bit of tlc. The dock near by the Pavillion had some kayaks and life vest to use at your own risk. There wasn't any decent life jackets that weren't super old or moldy, so I didnt get use their kayaks. There was however a beach a ways away which you could take a shuttle bus, I just didn't have enough time to check it out. As for the rafting, we had a guide introduce us to the sport and then branched us off into groups with our boat guide for the day. I feel like our guide could have been more friendly or enthusiastic with us. The other boats had a guides with humor and professionalism. The overall rafting experience was great, I just wish our guide was actually there as opposed to in his own world ( I believe he was tired from partying the night before). At night there was always a campfire going with a couple of chairs with live music. I thought that was a nice touch to end the night.

Aug 25 "flip trip" sport raft with Vincent. Vinny, we had a blast! We flipped on the very first rapid because we are a group of dysfunctional man-childs but that was easily the most memorable and exciting part of the entire day. We all had a great time and haven't shut up about it since. Thanks for being a great sport and rolling with our nonsense all day. Love it that you kept calling our bud Dragon. Hilarious. Highly recommend Wilderness Tours. Vinny was great. ALL of the staff was great. Its worth going. Do it. *don't bother with the Mac and Cheese option at dinner though. It was a huge fail.

ndly, supportive, helpful staff made this experience less stressful for a rookie. My partner and step daughter have no fear...I get fearful the more we talk about it!! Staff encouraged but we're not pushy. Next time it's sports raft for me! Food was awesome and facilities were comfortable and relaxing. Madison was one of our patient guides who was knowledgeable and engaged everyone in the activities...and the bad jokes!!

I'm often up to try most anything, but I must admit a part of me was a little bit terrified when my old boss announced we were heading to Wilderness Tours to do some white water rafting as a team building exercise. First of all, it was the end of September, and I thought I'd freeze (in addition to being thrown out of my raft). I also expected a fairly low-key establishment. I was super surprised. When we got there we were treated to an amazing lunch before we got into our wet suits. This place is used as a training centre for Algonquin College students in the Outdoor Adventure program, so there's a ton of room in the changerooms and they're really well maintained. We got our wetsuits on (GROSS ), and we ended up being super warm (even floating in the river I was nice and toasty!) and processed to divide into two groups - one who wanted hardcore rafting, and the other who wanted a little less intimidating experience. I decided for my first time I would take it on the easy side. Our guides were AMAZING - sweet hilarious and kind of ridiculously good looking. While our guide knew we didn't want to flip over or do anything too hardcore he still challenged us to work as a team, and we stopped at a few places to jump off cliffs and check out the natural beauty of the river. We stopped to check out the outdoor classrooms that Algonquin uses as well, and they're gorgeous. We did some hiking near the river and it was all just so beautiful. We floated around in the river for awhile as well. I would seriously recommend this as a great tea building exercise, but it would be even more fun with a group of friends or family. If you're nervous about rafting don't be. I felt totally safe (and entertained!) the entire time, and had a few adrenaline rushes as well!

I just got back from my 10th trip to Wilderness Tours. I sure love this place! I've wagered with the white water in May when its colder, cheaper and the wetsuits are free but I've often gone in July. I do recommend you go when its a little warmer; the resort is bustling with party people in late summer also. This year we were so lucky to have Katie Kowalski, the founder of the resort's daughter, as our guide for the sunset cruise trip this year! And for the most dangerous rapid, her brother Joel jumped in our raft... so we were guided by the offspring of Joe Kowalski, the man who independently invented white water rafting on the Ottawa River... and he did that in a canoe! And even better... we happened to arrive on the weekend in which Budweiser was hosting their Bud Camp contest winners! We were invited to join Bud Camp on Saturday night for their fireworks, concert (the crazy and unique USS) and free poutine! Oh, and of course... the bud girls. Yes, we will never forget those bud girls. In just one weekend at this brilliant resort, you can get a guided 5-hour tour down the huge rapids of the Ottawa River, during which you can go cliff jumping and swimming... or start a splashing war with other boats! Usually included is a bbq lunch at an island along the river if you're rafting over lunch hour. Back at the resort, you can go bungee jumping or cycling for a fee, or included with your package are any of the following: rock climbing, kayak and pedal boats, a ferry to a beach, pool, hot tub, slide and dock at the lake front, patio bar, live acoustic blues music on the patio, camp fires, giant chess, dj or bands at night, beach volleyball, hockey and basketball, darts or billiards. There is something for everyone! The food provided is pretty decent... not gourmet but good food and good portions. There is always fruit and cereal for breakfast for those who want to be healthy... though the eggs, bacon and potatoes fill the hole after a night of stumbling around the camp grounds quite well. The weekend lunch meals feature a salad bar and are accompanied by beef or chicken burgers with all the fixings. For Saturday night dinner you get tender chicken breast with bbq sauce and baked potato. There is also always a dessert... and their home-made cookies are fresh and delicious! I highly recommend this place!

3 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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12-year-old died less than 24 hours after he arrived at a North Carolina wilderness camp for troubled youth, officials say

A 12-year-old boy died less than 24 hours after arriving at a North Carolina wilderness camp for troubled adolescents, according to authorities, who said the child’s death “appeared to not be natural.”

The boy, who has not been publicly identified, was found dead at Trails Carolina Camp in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, on the morning of Feb. 3, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office said. The day before, he had been “transported per parents by two men from New York to Trails Carolina Camp,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, adding that the “death appeared suspicious since he had arrived at the camp less than 24 hours prior.”

The boy had been assigned to a cabin with other students and four staff members when he got to the camp. Shortly after 8 a.m. the next morning, staff discovered he was not breathing, officials said. The staff said that they had done CPR, but when emergency responders arrived, “rescue efforts were initiated and then stopped as the child appeared to be deceased for some time,” the sheriff’s office statement said.

Following an autopsy earlier this week, a forensic pathologist said the boy’s death “appeared to not be natural but the manner and cause of death is still pending,” according to the sheriff’s office.

The camp told officials it placed the staff members assigned to the boy’s cabin on leave, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators executed search warrants for two areas of Trails Carolina and are continuing their investigation, the sheriff’s office said, but “Trails Carolina Camp has not completely cooperated.”

Trails Carolina disputed that in a statement issued Thursday through a public relations firm, saying its staff has “fully cooperated” and that the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office’s statement “does not present an accurate account of the facts nor the current state of the investigation.”

Trails Carolina also said it has “conducted an internal investigation of this incident and the Trails facility has been investigated by outside professionals who are subject-matter experts,” and neither found evidence that the camp caused any harm or had improper supervision or unsafe conditions. It was not clear from the statement what type of experts conducted the external investigation.

In a statement earlier in the week, the camp said that there were few details available about the boy’s death, “only that at approximately 8 a.m. on Feb. 3, staff called 911 when a 12-year-old student did not respond to attempts to wake him.”

It cautioned against speculation and said its priority “has been to acknowledge and respect the unfathomable impact on this family’s life and maintain the integrity of the investigation.”

A controversial history

The boy’s death is the second of a Trails Carolina camper in the last decade. In November 2014, 17-year-old Alec Lansing walked away from the camp, prompting a massive search. His body was later found in a stream , where investigators believed he fell after climbing a tree and breaking his hip, leaving him unable to move. Reports from the time said he died of hypothermia.

A 2021 investigation by WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported that a state Department of Health and Human Services report showed Trails Carolina waited five hours before calling for help to find Alec. The camp was cited for failing to supervise a student and fined $12,000 but was allowed to continue operating, the news outlet said.

Trails Carolina said at the time that it was proud of the work it had done serving children.

“Since its founding, Trails has helped make a difference in the lives of more than 2,800 adolescents,” Trails Carolina told WBTV in 2021. “Seven years have passed since the tragic event in 2014 and we continue to pray for healing and peace for everyone involved.”

Trails Carolina describes itself as an adventure therapy program that aims to “help children and teens who struggle with various mental health issues and behavioral concerns.” It is licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; records show the agency has cited the camp for numerous deficiencies in recent years, most recently in June 2023, when it found that Trails Carolina failed to provide training to staff on “alternatives to restrictive interventions.”

The 2023 report mentions students at the camp with diagnoses of attention deficit disorder, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, learning differences and other conditions, and said some of the children told agency workers they had been restrained by staff.

Most campers told the agency at the time that they had not been hurt when they were restrained, though one showed a bruise on their upper arm that was “caused by staff’s hand,” the report said. Another said staff had held their arms down and one arm felt “tingly” so they asked staff to stop and the staff “loosened up a bit,” the report says.

In response to the evaluation, Trails Carolina submitted a plan of correction in which it committed to more training and wrote: “The Executive director will monitor the situation to ensure it will not happen again.”

Trails Carolina did not respond to questions about its past evaluations. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said it could not comment on the 12-year-old who died but said in an email that “staff have been on-site for several days investigating this incident and are working closely with local authorities.”

The camp has also faced legal issues. Federal court records obtained by NBC News show it was sued by the father of a former student who attended Trails Carolina when she was 14. The complaint, filed in 2022, alleges the student was molested in 2019 by another female student in her cabin and that staff denied her request to be in housing separate from her alleged abuser.

The complaint was later voluntarily dismissed by the student’s father but was filed again in 2023 under her name. Trails Carolina has denied the allegations in court documents, and the case is ongoing.

Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children.

Elderly American tourist killed in elephant attack while on safari in Zambia

The tourist died after the attack at Kafue National Park.

An elderly American tourist was killed after an "aggressive" bull elephant attacked a vehicle during a game drive in Zambia, the safari operator said.

The incident took place Saturday morning at Kafue National Park, a Lusaka Police spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. Gail Mattson, 79, was confirmed by the family as the victim.

"An aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp," Wilderness, the company operating the safari, said in a statement to ABC News Wednesday.

MORE: Import of live African elephants and hunting trophies restricted in the US

Four other people received treatment for minor injuries after the incident, the company said.

"The six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant," Keith Vincent, Wilderness' chief executive officer, said in the statement, adding, that the safari guide's vehicle was "blocked" by the terrain at the time of the attack.

"Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide's route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough," Vincent said.

Following the attack, Kafue National Park management was immediately called to assist and a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, according to Vincent. Local police, Zambia's Department of National Parks & Wildlife and other authorities are involved in the investigation, he said.

MORE: Global warming could increase risk of human-elephant conflict, researchers say

Wilderness is cooperating with the investigation, Vincent said.

"This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died," he said in the statement. "We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident."

The elderly woman's remains will be repatriated to her family in the U.S. with support from local Zambian authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, according to the statement.

MORE: Videos show terrifying moment bull elephant lifts safari truck

Last month, a similar bull elephant attack took place in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa.

Videos of the March 18 incident show a bull elephant lifting a 22-seat safari truck up several times with his trunk before letting it drop. There were no deaths reported in that incident.

Hendry Blom, a bystander who caught the incident on camera, told ABC News, "We were definitely scared, especially for the people in the truck because we thought they might die."

ABC News' Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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Kayaker dies on Ottawa River near Beachburg, Ont.

Opp identify woman as lynn bartholomew, 55, of dallas, texas.

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Members of the local kayaking community are mourning the death of a 55-year-old woman who died while kayaking in the Ottawa River near Beachburg, Ont., on Tuesday. 

Lynn Bartholomew, an experienced kayaker from Dallas, Texas, was ejected from her kayak in the river near Whitewater Region Township, which sits between Renfrew and Pembroke, at about 10:30 a.m.

It was during her rescue that she lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest, and she was later pronounced dead in hospital. 

"What happened yesterday was very tragic. It was a loss for the entire kayak community," said Joe Kowalski, owner of the Ottawa Kayak School.

Learning advanced techniques

Bartholomew had been kayaking with a group of people at the time of the incident, according to OPP, and had been staying with Wilderness Tours based out of nearby Foresters Falls, Ont.

The group were learning advanced kayaking techniques.

Kowalski called Bartholomew a "very experienced kayaker" who had been to Ottawa many times before and kayaked around the world. She was wearing a helmet and a lifejacket at the time.

Two people went into the water to help her, and Kowalski said she was conscious, talking, and able to float alongside them. Then one of the rescuers' kayaks capsized and, while the incident is still under investigation, Kowalski suspects she hit her head on either a rescue kayak or on a paddle. 

Ornge ambulance called, but none available

"The only thing that we can surmise is a head injury," Kowalski said. 

The two rescuers in kayaks pulled Bartholomew to shore and performed CPR, but paramedics arrived a few hundred metres downstream approximately 15 minutes after the 911 call, according to Renfrew Paramedic Services Chief Mike Nolan.

It took another 20 minutes for Ottawa Kayak School staff to bring her, via a motorized inflatable boat, to where paramedics were waiting to resuscitate her with a defibrillator, Nolan said.

Bartholomew was then taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

An Ornge air ambulance was called but none was available, he added.

'Every kayaker is sad today'

Kowalski said his company will review safety procedures in light of what he described as a "rare" kayaker death. 

"It makes everyone think about how precious life is and every kayaker is sad today. It's not going to stop them from kayaking," he said.

"It's a sober reminder that kayaking is a high-adventure activity."

OPP and the coroner's office are investigating, and foul play isn't suspected. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

American tourist killed after elephant rammed truck on African safari seen smiling in photos before attack

T he American tourist killed by a charging bull elephant that flipped over their safari vehicle in Zambia over the weekend has been identified as an adventurous 79-year-old woman who wanted the trip to be her “last big adventure.”

Mattson, who was visiting from Minnesota, was pictured the day she was killed on the safari vehicle holding a flower, her grieving family told KSTP.

She was one of six tourists with the group Wilderness Zambia who were out on a game drive Saturday in Kafue National Park when they came under attack by the incensed animal.

Terrifying video footage shows the elephant chasing after the safari vehicle moments before it charged the group, tipping the truck over as the guide repeatedly yelled at the creature. 

The passenger continues to record as the elephant flips the vehicle over. 

Family told the outlet that the US Embassy contacted them about her death.

Loved ones described the 79-year-old as kind, adventurous and very active in her community.

“She had told us that this safari was going to be her last big adventure,” said  her friend  John Longabauth. “Because her birthday is in the summer — I think she was going to be 80, and she felt like she would start slowing down. To be honest, I don’t know if she’d slow down or not. But at least you wouldn’t be traveling as far, probably.”

Mattson split time between living in Minnesota and Arizona, her family said.

Her friends in Arizona held a memorial for her following her sudden death. 

According to the Safari company, one other guest was hurt and taken to a private medical facility.

The four other tourists on the trip were treated for minor injuries after the violent outburst.

The horrifying incident unfolded at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday during a game drive through Kafue National Park, Wilderness Zambia CEO Keith Vincent said in a statement. 

Kafue National Park’s management sent a helicopter to evacuate the victims. 

“This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died. We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident,” Vincent said.

The group of tourists had been staying at the luxurious Lufupa Camp in the Kafue National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. 

The tour group is making arrangements for Mattson’s body to be returned to the US. 

Police and other authorities are investigating the incident. 

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Dyatlov Pass Tourists Go Missing While Visiting Area of Mysterious Hiking Incident

A group of tourists have gone missing in an infamous Russian mountain pass where nine people died under mysterious circumstances more than 60 years ago.

Eight tourists from Moscow who ventured into the Dyatlov Pass in the Ural region had not returned by Wednesday morning as expected, a local resident told E1.RU.

The source said: "They were supposed to leave at eight o'clock this morning. But they have not returned yet and there is no contact with them."

The tourists came to visit the pass to pay tribute to the nine people who died there in February 1959, the source reportedly added.

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The Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Sverdlovsk Region told the outlet Izvestia that there are three registered groups at the pass, and they were in contact with all of them.

"If the group is not registered, then there have been no reports of missing people either," the department said.

Newsweek has contacted the ministry for comment.

The Dyatlov Pass mystery

On January 23, 1959, 10 members of the Urals Polytechnic Institute in Yekaterinburg, who were all experienced mountaineers, went on a 200-mile hiking trip, according to the BBC .

One of the students turned back due to joint pain but the other nine—seven men and two women—ventured further into the wilderness led by 23-year-old engineering student Igor Dyatlov.

Investigators reportedly found camera film and personal diaries on the scene when they arrived a few weeks later. These showed that the group had set up camp on February 1 on the slopes of the mountain Kholat Saykhl, meaning "Dead Mountain" in the local Mansi language.

The search team also found a tent barely standing in the snow that seemed to have been cut open from the inside.

The first body was found near a cedar tree the next day while the rest were discovered over the next few months as the snow melted. But all nine bodies were found scattered in a bizarre state of undress.

Some had their skulls and chest smashed open while two had missing eyes and one had a missing tongue. Some were ruled to have died from their injuries while others died of hypothermia.

The Soviets reportedly kept the criminal investigation hushed up with the cause of deaths being ruled as an "unknown natural force," according to the National Geographic.

Many have since explored different theories and conspiracy theories involving aliens, katabatic winds, a romantic dispute, Yeti attacks, slaughter by local tribesmen, infrasound-induced panic and Soviet military experiments.

Avalanche theory

In 2019, Russian authorities released the results of their inquiry after reexamining the case for four years, concluding that an avalanche caused the nine deaths.

Many have argued that the avalanche theory, which was initially proposed as far back as 1959, does not quite add up.

This is because of reasons like the search team reporting no obvious signs of an avalanche or debris. The average slope angle above the tent was also apparently not steep enough, the snow would unlikely have slid hours after the cut was made in the slope to pitch the tent and their injuries were atypical for avalanche victims, who usually die of asphyxiation.

But last month, Swiss researchers presented data that shows how a small, delayed avalanche could address these discrepancies and explain the cause of the hikers' injuries and death.

In an article published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment , Johan Gaume and Alexander Puzrin came up with the theory that the deaths were caused by "a slab avalanche caused by progressive wind-blown snow accumulation on the slope above the hikers' tent."

The pair suggest that a small snow slide was possible and could have crushed the group.

The hikers, who weren't severely injured, could have cut their way out of the tent and tried to save the wounded by dragging them outside. Then, after trying to head towards the tree-line for shelter, they would have then died from hypothermia while the others died from their injuries, the researchers said.

The pair also suggests that scavenger animals may be the reason why some of the victims were missing eyes and a tongue although they cannot be certain of this.

Jordy Hendrikx, the director of the Snow and Avalanche Lab at Montana State University, who was not involved in the current research, told the National Geographic that he has long suspected the Dyatlov Pass incident was caused by an avalanche.

Praising Guame and Puzrin's work, he said: "The way they've shown that empirically in their equations seems perfectly robust. It's exciting how new science developments in the avalanche world can shed new light on these historic puzzles."

But Gaume told the publication that he fears this explanation is too straightforward to be publicly accepted. He said: "People don't want it to be an avalanche. It's too normal."

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Road Trip: The Sawtooths, Idaho

Climb more than 5,000 feet into the terrain of the Sawtooths where elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats await.

Discover what Ernest Hemingway came to love in Idaho's spectacular Sawtooth wilderness.

This outstanding scenic drive through south-central Idaho climbs more than 5,000 vertical feet (1,524 vertical meters) from a desert canyon near Boise into the rugged, spectacular mountain terrain of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. In the Sawtooths you can hike, fish, paddle white water on the Salmon River, check out a ghost town, and watch for elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Not surprisingly, this striking mountain landscape was a favorite playground of Ernest Hemingway, who is buried in the area.

Sights along this exceptionally scenic route of some 260 miles (418 kilometers) include an 1860s gold-mining town, a seductive natural hot spring, the ski towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley, a world-renowned trout stream, and lava tube caves.

Start in Boise

An old mining center and military outpost during the Idaho gold rush days of the 1860s and '70s, Boise today is the state capital, a university town, and home to most of Idaho's museums. Must-sees include the Idaho State Historical Museum, with exhibits on the state's history from prehistoric times to the fur trade to the present; the imaginative Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, for a close look at trout and their environment; and the World Center for Birds of Prey, which runs captive breeding programs for endangered raptors all over the world, including its own stable of Harpy eagles, California condors, and peregrine falcons.

From Boise, follow Idaho Rte. 21 east-northeast past Lucky Peak Lake, climbing through desert hills into the mountains. As you leave the sagebrush behind for cooler surroundings, the grass thickens and ponderosa pines gather. You'll know you're approaching the 1860s gold-rush town of Idaho City when the ground levels off and heaps of white cobblestones appear—leavings of gold dredges that worked the creek bed in the 1890s. Gold was discovered in Idaho City is 1862 and drew a swarm of miners. Many of the city's 19th-century buildings have been repurposed into homes, restaurants, and shops.

Kirkham Hot Springs

Continuing northeast on Rte. 21, you'll pass through Boise National Forest, where roadside exhibits explain what you'll see around you: little forest canopy, the result of the 1989 Lowman fire. A few miles farther sit Kirkham Hot Springs, among the state's best natural hot springs, which cascade over low cliffs into a series of pools—a beautiful spot for a soak.

Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Nicely relaxed, climb Rte. 21 through evergreen forests to 7,056-foot (2,151-meter)-high Banner Summit. Here the terrain flattens and broad meadows push back the forests. Look for elk, deer, coyotes, and hawks as you glide into the northern fringes of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. This sprawling preserve encompasses four mountain ranges, several large lakes, the Salmon River headwaters, and dozens of hot springs. It's the sort of place that begs you to pull over, lock the car, and put some ground under your feet or a trout stream around your knees. At its scenic heart stands the splintering crest of the Sawtooth Range, a chaos of crags, razorback ridges, and small alpine lakes that extends south for 30 miles (48 kilometers). For a terrific view of its jagged northern edge rising over a wetland meadow, stop at the Park Creek Overlook.

Drive on to Stanley, an outfitting center at the base of the peaks. You'll be leaving Rte. 21 for Rte. 75 south, and the approaching plunge into the Salmon River's first chasm. The road pitches down a forested gorge studded with granite outcroppings and follows the swift, clean Salmon as it drops 15 feet (five meters) to the mile. Along here is Sunbeam Hot Springs, which burbles over the rocks. At the crossroad town of Sunbeam, pause at the dynamited remains of the only dam ever built on the Salmon. Here the river stalls out in emerald pools warm enough for a summer swim.

Redfish Lake

Continue on Rte. 75 into the Sawtooth Valley, a broad tongue of prairie that cradles the Salmon River and stretches between the Sawtooths and the foothills of the White Cloud Peaks. The bony pinnacles of the Sawtooths, which reach a height of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), may seem remote, but trails put you into their heart. Follow signs to Redfish Lake Visitor Center, a rustic stone building with a stunning view of Redfish Lake, the largest of the recreation area's 300-plus lakes. Ringed with beaches and lodgepole-pine forests, the lake is almost overwhelmed by two massive, fractured peaks rising abruptly from its turquoise waters. Stop in Redfish Lake Lodge for some smoked salmon with red potato chowder—the lodge also offers guest rooms, a marina, and sunset boat cruises—then head over to another lake highlight.

Sawtooth Hatchery

Redfish Lake takes its name from the thousands of sockeye salmon that once spawned here. Today Chinook salmon and steelhead live on the brink of extinction, due largely to a series of dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Track the decline of these fish and learn about attempts to revive their spawning runs at the Sawtooth Hatchery, which raises steelhead trout and Chinook salmon.

• Nat Geo Expeditions

Head south across the valley and climb 2,000 feet (610 meters) to the Galena Overlook, which offers an expansive vista of the mountains. Just beyond the overlook you top Galena Summit (8,701 feet/2,652 meters) and tilt down into the Big Wood River Valley. The Big Wood River, heartbreakingly beautiful, winds through increasingly arid foothills on its way to Ketchum. Miners mobbed the valley during the 1880s, and the gold, silver, and lead they hauled out of the mountains built the town of Ketchum. The town nose-dived after the silver market collapsed in 1894 and remained relatively depressed until the 1930s, when Union Pacific Railroad chairman Averell Harriman (later governor of New York) built the Sun Valley Resort. Today Ketchum is a fairly typical Western ski town crowded with gift shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and expensive houses sprawling up the valley. Check out the Ketchum Sun Valley Historical Society Heritage and Ski Museum, which gives a general rundown on the valley's history, from mining to ski resort, and offers a walking-tour brochure. Then strap on your in-line skates (or sneakers) and explore Ketchum's extensive system of paved pathways.

End at Sun Valley Resort

Finally, drive over to "America's original ski resort," Sun Valley Resort, which was created to bring the allure of European ski resorts to the U.S. and boasts a 1936 lodge that hosted stars from Clark Gable to Errol Flynn. Roam the resort's highbrow shops and admire the upscale vacation houses, keeping an eye out for such present-day glitterati as Demi Moore and Clint Eastwood. Then pay your respects to one of the first celebrities to recognize this special corner of Idaho: Ernest Hemingway. The writer's grave, inscribed "Ernest Miller Hemingway, July 21, 1899-July 2, 1961," sits in the Ketchum Cemetery; a Hemingway Memorial, a small bust of the writer, sits tucked into the cottonwoods along Trail Creek, as simple and natural as the writer himself.

Do this drive from late spring into early autumn, checking weather postings for updates (snow can come early or late). For more information on Boise, visit www.boise.org . For the Sawtooths, visit www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth . For Ketchum and Sun Valley, visit www.visitsunvalley.com .

—Text by Thomas Schmidt, adapted from National Geographic Driving Guides to America: The Rockies

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Death Valley Moto

DEATH VALLEY DUAL SPORT MOTO TOUR

2025 Dates: • March 20th – 23rd (3 SPOTS LEFT) • Nov 13th – 16th

Click here to Contact us for Private Trip Info.

Weather: February/March and November/December (Daytime: mid-70’s to low 80’s | Evening: high-40’s to mid-50’s) aka perfect riding weather.

Highlights: •  Otherworldly terrain • Dramatic contrasts (from lowest point in North America up to 6,000′) • Soak in natural hot springs • Ride through slot canyons • Huge Eureka sand dunes • Mysterious moving rocks (seriously; click here)

Cost: • Starting at $4,995 per person • Includes 350cc Husqvarna/KTM Motorcycle, gear & much more • 30% deposit due upon booking. Balance due 60 days before departure • 25% discount if you bring your own street-legal dirt bike

Duration:  4 days, 3 nights

Terrain: Primarily dirt and gravel roads, two-track dirt roads, short rocky/bouldered and loose/sandy technical stretches, and pavement. Higher mileage days.

Difficulty Level II: Intermediate riders with prior street and dirt experience will be well suited for this ride

Questions? Contact Us

• Motorcycle license • Prior street riding experience • Some dirt experience • Good physical fitness

Wilderness Collective operates under permit in Death Valley National Park