12-year-old dies at NC wilderness camp and circumstances are ‘suspicious,’ cops say

A 12-year-old boy died in his cabin at a North Carolina wilderness camp and the circumstances are “suspicious,” detectives say.

The identity of the boy, who is from New York, has not been released.

It happened at Trails Carolina, a therapeutic wilderness program in Lake Toxaway, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 7 news release. The camp is about 140 miles west of Charlotte.

The boy was brought to the camp Friday, Feb. 2, and assigned to share a cabin with an unspecified number of children and four adult staff members, officials say.

“At 8:10 a.m. ... Saturday a call was made to the 911 center in reference to the 12-year-old male not breathing,” the sheriff’s office said.

“According to camp staff, CPR efforts were made and a CPR mask was found at the scene. Upon arrival, rescue efforts were initiated (by first responders) and then stopped as the child appeared to be deceased for some time.”

The boy was taken to a hospital and a preliminary examination concluded “his death appeared suspicious since he had arrived at the camp less than 24 hours prior to his death,” officials said.

A specific cause of death “may not be available for several months,” but a forensic pathologist reports the “death appeared to not be natural.”

Two search warrants have been executed at the camp: one at the cabin where the boy was found and one at the site where his cabin mates were moved after the discovery, officials said.

“The staff members who were assigned to the cabin where the incident occurred were reportedly placed on leave according to Trails Carolina Camp,” the sheriff’s office said.

Camp officials issued a statement Feb. 8, saying preliminary reports indicate the death was “accidental.”

“We are shattered by the tragic loss of a young life and our deepest sympathies are with the student’s family and loved ones. Our priority is to acknowledge and respect the unfathomable impact on their lives and maintain the integrity of the investigation into the cause,” the camp wrote.

“No other students were involved in any way, and all students were moved immediately so as to minimize the impact on them. Our students have cooperated to the extent authorized by their parents.”

The camp is for students ages 10 to 17 and is described as a “wilderness therapy program” to give them “confidence, coping mechanisms, and communication skills that will help them become the best version of themselves.”

This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 5:28 AM with the headline "12-year-old dies at NC wilderness camp and circumstances are ‘suspicious,’ cops say."