BOY SCOUTS FACING LAWSUIT FOR WRONGFUL DEATH OF 11-YEAR-OLD KILLED IN CAMP BOATING TRAGEDY
Published in Lawsuits on February 4, 2025
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“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”: Camp Bell Violated Basic Boat Safety Principles and Official Boy Scouts Rules.
CONCORD, NH – FEBRUARY 4, 2025 – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), which recently rebranded as Scouting America, is facing a major new lawsuit over the wrongful death of an 11-year-old Boy Scout who was killed on July 7, 2023, in a horrific and preventable motorboat accident at Camp Bell on the Griswold Scout Reservation in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. The parents of Keoni Hubbard and their attorney held a Zoom-based news event to share their story and discuss the complaint being filed.
The lawsuit was filed in New Hampshire Superior Court, Hillsborough County, by Brett Corson and J. Tucker Merrigan (pro hac vice forthcoming) of the law firm Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP (Sweeney Merrigan). The defendants include Boy Scouts of America, Corp. d/b/a Scouting America, and Daniel Webster Council, Incorporated of the Boy Scouts of America, d/b/a Griswold Scout Reservation, d/b/a Camp Bell.
J. Tucker Merrigan, managing partner, Sweeney Merrigan, said: “Everything that we’ve uncovered about this Boy Scout camp’s approach to boating safety seems to demonstrate a total disregard for common sense, as well as the Boy Scout’s own rules and safety principles. This was truly a disaster waiting to happen. Keoni’s family, friends and community are now living with a permanent hole in their lives.”
Jena Hubbard, mother of Keoni Hubbard, said: “I am a completely different person after losing my sweet boy. Keoni was a gift. He was an amazing son, brother, grandson, and friend. He wouldn’t want his mom to be so sad. In fact, he was the first person to give me a hug or run to get me a tissue if something was upsetting me or we were watching a sad movie. Keoni’s greatest joy was to take care of others.
“I want people to know that the Scouts are not living up to their own laws, especially their first law that says: ‘A Scout is: TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.’ Keoni took the Scout Oath and the Scout Laws very seriously, and the organization utterly failed him, especially on this. I have a message for the scouts: Keoni mattered. And so does the safety of the millions of other kids headed to Scout camps this year.”
John Hubbard, father of Keoni Hubbard, said: “As much as the typical person thinks they can imagine the pain of losing a child, it’s actually way worse than that. I am trapped in my own version of hell on earth. A hell where the best part of the day is when I wake up and for half a moment, I forget my son is dead, but then I remember and somehow have to get up anyway.The best thing that we can do now is hold the Boy Scouts accountable, share our story, and – most importantly – help others the way Keoni did.”
The Incident
On July 7, 2023, Keoni was killed during a troop boating activity on Manning Lake in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, while attending the Boy Scout and Daniel Webster Council-owned and operated Camp Bell on the Griswold Scout Reservation (GSR) with his local Troop #119.
That afternoon, Keoni and seven other Boy Scouts were on a 21-foot SUPRA Sports Power Boat with one 18-year-old driver, who had just received his boating license – which only requires a written exam – only ten days prior. The driver had undergone less than one hour of training from the GSR director and had not received the GSR Water-Ski Syllabus or basic waterfront training.
The camp leaders in charge placed the driver in a situation where the level of danger was beyond his ability to recognize, and it was in violation of multiple BSA rules. Several BSA Safe Swim Defense rules were ignored by the adult leaders involved, including the requirement of a “qualified supervisor” at least 21 years of age, lifeguards on duty, at least two rescue personnel when lifeguard personnel are unavailable, implementation of the “buddy system,” a stationed lookout, and others.
The supervising adults also failed to adhere to the BSA Safety Afloat guidelines requirements for proper planning, which includes communications arrangements and contingencies for emergency response options, and “skill proficiency” for all boat operators.
Following the incident, the New Hampshire State Police Marine Division conducted an investigation. Their report concluded that a lack of training, failure in basic safety precautions, and failure in oversight by the Boy Scouts of America, The Griswold Scout Reservation, the Daniel Webster Council, Camp Bell, and Troop #119, placed the young boat operator and the eight Boy Scouts in the boat in a dangerous and untenable position. As a result of the failures of the organizations and adult leaders at every level, the boat operator made a disastrous decision that killed Keoni Hubbard.
Many of the Scouts on the SUPRA were interviewed and relayed stories of dangerous behavior by the driver on July 7, 2023 that warranted intervention before Keoni’s death, including that the driver regularly drove extremely fast in the water.
Merrigan added: “For decades, the Boy Scouts placed young boys in the care of unqualified leaders, resulting in tens of thousands of sexual abuse claims and prompting the organization to rebrand. But the new name can’t hide that the pattern of leadership failure has not changed. Keoni’s death was tragic and unnecessary. Keoni and the virtually untrained boat driver were set up for disaster by the people they relied upon. The Boy Scouts of America, Daniel Webster Council (DWC), Griswold Scout Reservation (GSR) and Camp Bell failed them at the most basic levels. The responsible leaders and organizations ignored written guidelines, their training, basic common sense and their duties to ensure camper safety.”
Community in Mourning
Keoni’s death set off an outpouring of grief, love and remembrance from everyone that knew him. Many of his friends, community members, school mates and fellow Boy Scouts reached out to Keoni’s family to share of how he had touched their lives. Several considered him their best friend. Those who knew Keoni described him as kind, outgoing, and “the nicest person I’d ever met.” Keoni’s phone even received text messages from friends who knew he wouldn’t be there to read them but needed to express how much they missed him.
Keoni’s troop created a special Scout patch to honor Keoni. Although they are not allowed to wear the patch on their Scout uniforms because it is not official, his friends wanted a way to keep Keoni close and have him still join their weekly meetings and other milestone events.
The Scouts told Keoni’s story through this patch. Because Keoni wanted to become an Eagle Scout, the eagle is center stage. The eagle holds an orange tulip in celebration of the Netherlands, where Keoni’s family lived when he was younger. The eagle also grasps the “Golden Spatula,” an award Keoni received at camp for cooking a delicious meal. Looking closely, you can see that the spatula handle is a lightsaber, and the mountains on the patch reference Keoni’s birth and first five years growing up in Seattle surrounded by the Cascade mountains.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Max Karlin at (703) 276-3255 or mkarlin@hastingsgroupmedia.com.
Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP works to create a safer community by holding responsible parties accountable and building trust through transparent communication and unwavering support for our clients. We provide first-class legal representation, ensuring our clients’ rights are protected and their voices heard. More info at https://www.sweeneymerrigan.com/.