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PCSO: No charges expected in teen Boy Scout hiking death

Posted at 4:35 PM, May 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-04 18:15:40-04

PINAL COUNTY, AZ — Authorities say no charges are anticipated after a 16-year-old Boy Scout died while on a troop hiking trip in the Arizona desert.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said Friday that investigators looking into the death at Picacho Peak State Park between Phoenix and Tucson last Saturday afternoon don't expect to file a criminal case.

Forghani said there were two adults leading a small group of scouts on a hike at the park along the I-10 freeway that features distinctive 1,500-foot (457-meter) Picacho Peak. The park has several hiking trails that offer spectacular views.

Sheriff's officials say the hikers had water when they left, but ran out at the top of a mountain. The boy showed signs of extreme dehydration and died on the way down.

His family said in a statement released Friday night through the Boy Scouts that help was called immediately and life-saving measures taken "but unfortunately unable to revive him."