Boy Scout “Klondike” marred by death of leader

Lynn Volkens

2/16/2006 - The “Klondike,” held by Gateway District Boy Scouts at Golden Gate Park, is usually a fun and challenging weekend of winter camping with a highlight of dog-sled style racing (with Scouts playing the canine roles). But this year, the event was made more challenging by the death of one of the leaders sometime late Friday or early Saturday.

  The man’s name had not yet been released at press time. According to Gilpin County Coroner Zane Laubhan, the deceased was 66 years old and appeared to have been in good health. He was camping in a camper at Golden Gate State Park. On Saturday morning, his son (who was camping in a nearby tent with the deceased’s grandson) found him near death inside the camper. Golden Gate Park Rangers responded immediately and Gilpin Ambulance was quickly on the scene, as was High Country Fire Department.

  According to Cory McKee at Scout Headquarters in Denver, the man was an assistant leader, a pilot from Arvada. She said he did have a pre-existing heart condition and that cause of death was believed to be a heart attack. Laubhan said an autopsy had been ordered and was performed late Monday afternoon in Idaho Springs to confirm the cause of death. At press time, that information remained unavailable.

  The Klondike/Winter Camp is one of the larger local annual Scouting events. This year more than 35 different troops had participated, said McKee, and there were approximately 800 people in camp for the event. “Local response (to the emergency) was great, just the best,” she commented. Scouting personnel moved their boys from the scene, allowing authorities to, “get in, get what we needed and get out,” said the coroner. The Scouts and their leaders decided to finish the event, said McKee. Laubhan, who has a long-time history of involvement with Scouting himself, reflected on the event, based on his own Scouting experience. With the kind of folks involved in the event, “there was a good support group,” he said, referring not only to the son and grandson, but to the other Scouts and leaders as well.

  (The Gilpin County News extends our sympathies to the family and friends.)