In a recent turn of events on the corridors of justice, the Boy Scouts of America were arraigned in the Dallas County District Court for negligence over the demise of a Fort Worth teenager three months ago.
The grieving parents of Reid Comita, 15, have sued the Irving-based scouting organization for the wrongful death, alleging that lack of adequate supervision and safety training led to the death of their son. Comita was seeking his final merit badge to achieve the prestigious Eagle Scout status when he met his untimely death; Reid died of a heat stroke in the remote West Texas at Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch on June 12. In a recent interview with WFAA, the father of the deceased, John Comita, was of the view that the Boy Scouts of America are to be held responsible for his son’s demise. “The Boy Scouts are to be held responsible for my son’s death” he said.
According to Reid’s parents, they signed their son up for a beginner, but he ended up on a more arduous trail in the scorching 99-degree heat. The parents are suing the scouts for sending their son on an “extremely aggressive hike” through a rugged and remote terrain in Southwest Texas. “He wasn’t an athlete. He was not prepared to go on an advanced hike” his father said. Photos from the Boy Scouts Facebook fan page show a rugged, mountainous terrain that meanders through the Jeff Davis County.
The lawsuit also faults the scouts for sending Reid on a hike devoid of proper training before leaving the camp. The petitioner further faults the scouts for sending Reid with two other teenagers, a 14 and 18-year old, instead of the two adults that the regulations require.The turn of events has left Copper, Reid’s mother emotionally strained, crushed, baffled and angry as well. The lawsuit further faults the scouts for the communication glitch; the parents claim that they were never notified of their son’s death for more than four hours.
On Thursday, the Scouts declined to comment on the lawsuit but issued their deepest condolences to Reid`s family. Also, they assured the friends and families of the members that the health and safety of their members remained their biggest priority. According to Copper, Reid was “very special”; he had just cleared his freshman year at Keller Central High School. When he was not earning merits and badges, Reid participated in the men’s choir. For Copper, the loss of such a brilliant son is a void that cannot simply be filled.
