A preteen boy was recently enrolled in a camp for troubled teens in North Carolina. The 12-year-old was taken to the camp on Friday, February 2, with his parents’ consent, but never made it back home. Sadly, just one day after enrolling, he was found dead.
Two men took the boy from New York to the Trails Carolina camp in Lake Toxaway. The boy was assigned a cabin along with other minors. There were also four adult staff members assigned to the cabin, but not much else is known about what happened after his arrival.
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'Our deepest sympathies are with the student's family and loved ones,' the camp wrote in a statement.
The next morning, at 8:10 a.m., a 911 dispatcher received a call saying that the boy was not breathing. First responders administered CPR, according to the camp staff, but they stopped once they determined that the boy had been deceased “for some time.”
In a statement to Fox Carolina, the camp wrote, “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."
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A medical examiner said the boy's death didn't appear to be natural.
The investigation is ongoing but a medical examiner performed an autopsy and ruled that the death appeared not to be natural. The manner and cause of death are still pending. While the camp stated that it is fully cooperating with authorities, deputies claim the Trails Carolina Camp “has not completely cooperated.”
Two of the staff members assigned to the cabin where the boy died have reportedly been placed on leave since the incident.
This is not the first time a death has occurred at the camp.
Trails Carolina is listed as a nature-based therapy program designed to help children ages 10 to 17 work through behavioral or emotional difficulties. The program costs around $715 a day, depending on the student’s age, and is designed to repair family relationships and achieve academic success.
This is not the first time someone has died at Trails Carolina, according to Yahoo News. In 2014, a boy named Alec Lansing died from hypothermia after running away from the camp. Trails Carolina was fined $12,000, but allowed to continue operations.
Former students said the camp was 'beyond cruel.'
Kathleen Reilly attended the camp when she was 16. In a 2021 interview with WBTV Chicago, Reilly claimed the methods at Trails Carolina were “beyond cruel.” Reilly said campers were denied basic hygiene and the staff members who accompanied them were not trained therapists.
“It’s just not normal. It’s not humane and it’s just not … What it does to your brain, you still don’t even want to admit to it. It’s just like it’s still there and they have that power over you," she said.
Today, Reilly’s parents regret sending her to Trails Carolina, saying they should have employed more professional help. Reilly herself, who says she suffers from sleep and abandonment issues, along with anxiety and panic disorder, can recall how felt as a camper.
“I remember laying there every night praying to a god I don’t even believe in saying, ‘If you get me out of here, I promise I will do whatever I can to help whatever child so they don’t have to go through this,’” she said.
