North Carolina officials reveal possible cause of death for boy, 12, found dead at wilderness therapy camp

A North Carolina boy apt died of suffocation successful a shelter astatine a wilderness therapy campy for troubled youth aft unit grounded to cheque connected him, according to a authorities study released Tuesday.

Staff astatine Trails Carolina, located successful Lake Toxaway connected nan occidental broadside of nan state, told North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) workers that a 12-year-old boy who was recovered dormant connected Feb. 3 aft being astatine nan campy for little than a time apt suffocated successful his tent, a Statement of Deficiencies and Plan of Correction from nan North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation states.

One unit personnel answered "yes" erstwhile asked, "[D]o you deliberation he suffocated?" nan 88-page study states.

The boy was told to slumber successful a bivy — aliases a small, single-person shelter — wrong a compartment astatine nan camp. The bivy's zipper apparently collapsed off, and unit utilized a zip-tie to enclose nan shelter instead, according to nan report.

FORMER STAFF AT NORTH CAROLINA THERAPY CAMP SAYS TROUBLE KIDS, INEXPERIENCED STAFF IS ‘LEATH COMBINATION'

A 12-year-old boy died astatine a North Carolina wilderness campy complete nan weekend, conscionable 1 time aft he checked successful to nan arguable facility. (Trails Carolina)

The unit personnel told DHHS his belief that "he and nan campy were responsible" for nan boy's death. And erstwhile asked what he could person done differently, nan unit personnel stated, "I could person opened [the boy's tent] up, re-positioned him."

NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH OFFICIALS REMOVE CHILDREN FROM TROUBLED WELLNESS THERAPY CAMP

Staff were expected to cheque connected campers astatine midnight, 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Around 3 a.m. connected Feb. 3, different unit personnel said he heard dense breathing and "mumbling" coming from nan bivy but did nothing. He conducted different cheque connected nan bivy astir 6 a.m. and said he was "certain" he heard breathing but said nan boy was "no longer heavy breathing."

Later that morning, nan boy was recovered unresponsive wrong nan bivy. Law enforcement were dispatched to nan campy astatine 8:28 a.m. that morning, according to nan report.

Transylvania County Sheriff Chuck Owenby released much specifications Wednesday, Feb. 7, successful nan decease of a juvenile astatine a campy successful Western North Carolina complete nan weekend, including that nan campy wherever nan decease took spot has not been afloat cooperative successful nan investigation. (Trails Carolina)

"My actions that nighttime was to execute nighttime checks... that was my responsibility, which I grounded on," nan unit personnel told officials, adding, "I do consciousness for illustration nan bivy had a batch to do pinch it," and "suffocation is ever a anticipation erstwhile instrumentality is utilized wrong."

NORTH CAROLINA SEARCH WARRANT SHEDS LIGHT ON MYSTERIOUS THERAPY CAMP DEATH OF 12-YEAR-OLD BOY

Trails Carolina regularly made caller campers slumber successful bivys pinch alarms connected nan zippers erstwhile they first arrived astatine campy until they were deemed safe capable to slumber extracurricular of a bivy — a believe nan camp's executive head was not alert of, according to nan report.

The campy describes itself arsenic "a wilderness therapy programme helping teens and adolescents ages 10-17 who struggle pinch mental wellness challenges" connected its website.

The forensic pathologist conducting nan autopsy told investigators nan 12-year-old's decease appeared to not beryllium natural, but nan mode and origin of decease are still pending. (Trails Carolina)

Autopsy results for nan 12-year-old boy are pending, but Trails Carolina antecedently said his decease appeared to person been accidental.

NEW ADMISSIONS HALTED AT TRAILS CAROLINA THERAPY CAMP AMID INVESTIGATION INTO 12-YEAR-OLD'S DEATH

The authorities suspended admissions to nan campy earlier this year, and children who were staying astatine nan campy successful February were removed. In March, NCDHHS officials notified nan campy that nan authorities planned to revoke its licence because it was in usurpation of authorities wellness codes.

A erstwhile Trails Carolina worker who antecedently said to Fox News Digital connected nan information of anonymity said nan camp's website, which showed a photograph of children fishing, is simply a "false advertisement."

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"These kids aren't sportfishing because you're acrophobic they are going to usage nan rod arsenic a limb and termination someone. You spot kids riding successful canoes, that's mendacious advertisement," nan erstwhile unit personnel alleged. "Those kids aren't riding successful canoes because they whitethorn spell retired connected nan reservoir and effort to termination themselves. Those kids aren't repelling aliases going connected upland hikes because you're acrophobic they are going to push personification disconnected nan cliff."

Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.