A teenager from Salem died Saturday during a Boy Scout camping trip in the High Uintas.
The troop had been camped in the Chain Lakes area in Krebs Basin on Thursday when Douglas Jeffrey Julian, 17, told Scout leaders he had a headache and felt nauseated, according to a news release from the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office. Since he still felt ill on Friday, leaders decided to pack up camp early and planned to hike to the trailhead in Uinta Canyon on Saturday morning.
Julian collapsed about 50 yards from the campsite as the troop hiked out Saturday morning, the release said.
A Scout leader, who left before the rest of the troop, hiked eight miles to 10 miles to search for cell service and call for help, the release stated. A Life Flight helicopter flew to the troop, but Julian had already died.
Officers suspect Julian died of altitude sickness. The teenager’s body has been transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Julian would have turned 18 on Sunday, according to the news release.