A Salem boy scout died on Saturday as his troop began hiking out of the High Uintas in an effort to get medical attention for the ill teen. According to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas Jeffery Julian would have turned 18-years-old on Sunday. The troop was camping in the Chain Lakes area on Thursday when Julian began complaining that he was nauseous and had a headache. He remained sick on Friday prompting scout leaders to decide they would pack up camp early on Saturday and hike back to the trailhead in Uinta Canyon north of Neola, shares Lt. Jeremy Curry. One of the leaders set out earlier than the rest of the troop, getting cell service after hiking 8 to 10 miles and called for help. A LifeFlight helicopter was sent to the troops location but the young man was deceased before it arrived. Julian had collapsed about 50 yards after the troop began hiking out
on Saturday morning
. CPR was immediately administered but they were unable to revive the teen. Julian’s body was flown to Uintah Basin Medical Center in Roosevelt and has since been transported to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy. Lt. Curry says that all indications were that Julian was a healthy young man with no prior history of medical problems and so it is suspected he may have succumbed to altitude sickness. “That’s the only possible reason we have,” shares Lt. Curry. “Right now we have no reason to believe it was anything else.”
