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Quick-thinking Scout awarded heroism medal

On 4/11/2006

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Contributed by: Cora Jean Leenheer on 4/18/2006

On April 11, Aaron Skeen was awarded the Boy Scout Heroism medal. This is an exceptional award given to scouts who use life-saving skills to avert serious injury.

In June 2004, Arvada Covenant Boy Scout Troop 2003 was taking a canoe trip down the Gunnison River. The USGS website which tracks the water flow hour by hour showed that the river flow in the Delta area was 3,100 cubic feet per second on Thursday, the day before the scouts' trip. Hot weather on Friday increased the river flow to 4,200 cubic feet per second, well above average. The river was running high with extremely swift currents.

There is a diversion dam a few miles down river. As two of the canoes reached it, they were unable to navigate around the dam and went into the dam area sideways. These two canoes became entangled and tipped. Three of the scouts in those canoes were able to get out quickly. Dorthea Hoyt, however, was trapped between the canoes and could not free herself. Aaron was in a float raft behind them.

Witnessing the canoes flipping and turning in the air, and then hearing Ms. Hoyt screaming for help, he rolled off the back of his raft as it was passing by the accident. He was then able to grab onto one of the canoes and pull himself against the swift rapids up to where Hoyt was trapped. The swift current was bending one of the canoes in half, which caused her to be trapped between the canoes. Aaron was able to lift the canoes enough that Hoyt could slide out.

The two of them floated down the river to where other boaters on the river could pull her out, and Aaron was able to get to shore on his own. Hoyt was able to walk back to where the majority of the scout troop was, but she then went into shock. When Aaron saw this, he began to treat her.

Hoyt suffered a fractured rib, a severely bruised kidney and a severe bruise to her liver area.

Aaron has been an Eagle Scout since 2002, and he currently works as a lifeguard at the Gilpin County Recreation Center. He is also a member of the Golden Gate Canyon Fire Department and is a student at Red Rocks Community College.

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