Mother sues Scouts, LDS over son's death

A woman whose son died in a fall during a Boy Scout hike in Zion National Park is suing the Boy Scouts of America, the Utah National Parks Council and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ruth Jones' 14-year-old son, Kristoffer, was visiting his grandmother in Provo in June 2004. During the visit, Bonneville 3rd Ward members, ward leaders and Boy Scout leaders invited Kristoffer to join a Boy Scout ward outing.

Kristoffer was a member of the LDS Church and a Boy Scout in his home state of California.

Jones contends in the lawsuit, filed Monday in 4th District Court, there was negligence in the selection of that particular hike to Angels Landing and a failure to safeguard against the "ordinary expected impulsive behavior" of children. The overlook spans two cliff tops with 800- to 1,000-foot sheer drops.

"There are some places you take kids and some you don't," said Provo attorney Lynn Harris, who represents Jones in the lawsuit. "There is a real question as to whether they should have been there."

The lawsuit contends that Kristoffer and other youngsters arrived at Angels Landing at least 15 minutes before the adult leaders. One witness told police the Scouts were '"running around and jumping between rocks" without an adult supervisor, the lawsuit said.

Another Scout had bet Kristoffer $5 to crawl out onto a ledge and scratch his name into the side of a cliff, according to reports from the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Park authorities said the boys were hundreds of feet off the trail when Kristoffer lost his footing and fell.

Reports from the sheriff's office and the National Park Service said a leader arrived minutes after the fall.

John Gailey, a spokesman for the Boy Scout's National Parks Council in Orem, said Wednesday that he could not comment on the case now that it is in the courts.

But, he said, the Scouts have rules that require leaders arranging an outdoor adventure to file a tour permit, saying how many adults there will be, the numbers of boys, where they are going and what they are going to do. Depending on what they are going to do, they must also indicate that leaders have appropriate safety training for the activities.

"I want to reiterate our desire to keep boys safe, and our policies and procedures are very important — we strenuously encourage and require our leaders to take these trainings," he said.

An LDS church spokesman said the Boy Scouts of America will be handling the defense of the case because the incident occurred during a Boy Scout-sponsored activity.