SageWalk Wilderness School
Bend, OR

SageWalk Wilderness School has received notice of an investigation by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Investigations and Training due to the recent death of one of our students that occurred on August 28. DHS has requested that we remove all students from SageWalk until the investigation is complete, and we are cooperating with this request.

In addition, local law enforcement is conducting an investigation and has executed a search warrant. We have not seen the affidavit for the search warrant and are therefore not in a position to discuss any factual matters or further details.

We firmly believe there to be no basis for these actions. At this time, the exact details surrounding the student's death are still being determined and autopsy results are not yet available.

SageWalk considers student safety our number one priority and is confident in a positive resolution to this investigation. Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards. We were the first wilderness program to be individually accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and we are licensed by the State of Oregon to work with students who are experiencing issues with substance abuse and are also licensed by the State of Oregon as both an Outdoor Youth Program and Private School.

Due to the limited information available, this is all we are able to communicate at this time.

It is heartbreaking to read about the death of this young man. No child's life should end prematurely. They are our richest natural resource. The loss affects all of us in this society. The parents of this young man and the relatives and friends of this young man deserve our support during this difficult period of loss and tragedy.

I do not know the cause of this death, neither does anyone else at this time and until the time when the authorities investigate, process the legal concerns, and find closure, we will not understand what happened. Was it a natural cause from an unknown medical issue, was it preventable, where does the fault lie? Maybe we will never know. We must wait until discovery leads to a just conclusion. The responsibility may be fixed only after a forensic study of the evidence. That is the American Way. Painful yes. Resolution only with time, understanding and healing. We all ought to be concerned, frustrated, angry, hurt, and saddened, but our feelings need to be released with reason and prudence. Blame assessed only with knowledge and judgement.

I think those of us who are deeply concerned need to guard against our frustration caused by the tragedy and demonstrate our commitment not to judge until the facts are corroborated. In the meantime, the students present during this ordeal, the staff on the scene, the management at all levels, family, friends, and all those touched by the situation need to avoid blame and comfort one another. Whatever the cause, we must all learn that life is fragile, and cause and effect are very often difficult, maybe impossible to assess. Should those trying to help young people stop their efforts because of the risks involved? Will anger and bitterness replace the life just lost? Can we learn from the horror of it all? My prayers go out to all those who are hurting at this time and may we all find the strength to keep trying to addess the needs of our children in the best way we can.

The people trying to help adolescents are confronted every day with painful circumstances, suffering, anger, in a world difficult to understand. They work feverishly to stop the hemoraging be it violence, hate, drugs, or handicap, be it physical or emotional, be accidental, deliberate or caused by something unknown. The efforts of people does not come with guarantees of success in every case. There are few absolutes better than those found in the Hypocratic Oath taken by doctors, first do no harm. We can all learn from that baseline. We must continue to help children and try to understand their pain. We must not give up on any child and we must always improve our treatment options.

I hope those who are committed to helping young people continue to do so and continue to keep the door open for helping the children who need us to hear their cry for help by our efforts to create hope.

Bob Kantar
Educational Consultant
rkantar@aol.com