Emergency Response After ‘Surprise’ Snow at Boy Scout Camporee

Temperamental weather in the Hudson Valle this weekend meant that multiple Boy Scouts needed medical attention after snow fell on their 61st annual camporee.

The camporee, meant to be a fun gathering Boy Scout troops from across multiple states, was held Friday, April 11th through Saturday April 12th. Some scouts may have received more exposure to nature than originally intended when snow began to fall, requiring nearly 20 scouts to be evacuated from the campground.

Emergency Response to Boy Scout Camporee at Lake Frederick Recreation Area

"West Point and Orange County officials provided emergency services Saturday morning to the Annual Scout Camporee at Lake Frederick Recreation Area", began a recent post from Orange County Emergency Services (below) as more details began to emerge.

Potential "Cold Weather Injuries" at Annual Hudson Valley Boy Scout Camporee

The post continued by sharing that 18 participants received offsite treatment for "potential minor cold weather injuries". Photos from the campground (below) show just how much snow ended up covering the event.

Community Responds to Snowy Camporee

Responses to the incident ranged from outcry ("WTH. They’re Boy Scouts. They didn’t prepare very well") to outcry at the outcry ("For those of you trashing the scouts, grow up. They are KIDS who are trying new things and making mistakes"). While many troops survived unscathed, photos (below) showed the damage caused by heavy, wet snow.

The West Point camporee has been held annually since 1964, and still other commenters posted photos of their own patches they received from attending the event in decades past. With no major injuries reported and the excitement the snow likely created, it can be hoped that scouts this year will look back with equally fond memories in the future.