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SALT LAKE CITY — The families of two Boy Scouts struck by lightning last year have filed a wrongful death suit against the Boy Scouts of America and its National Parks Council. One of the boys died. The mothers of those boys spoke to KSL Tuesday.
For Connie Rayborn, time hasn't begun to heal the tremendous loss.
"There's a giant hole in my heart that will never be filled," she said.
"I miss my son every day. His 3 brothers miss him. He should be home with me," she said. "I'm still just devastated and the more I learn about what happened that day, the more frustrated I get."
12-year-old David Rayborn was at his first Scout camp last summer at Scofield Reservoir when he was hit and killed by lightning. His best friend, Sean Smith, was knocked unconscious.
"I shook him for about two minutes," Sean said of that terrifying event. "I kept calling out for help and nobody answered so I ran to go get help at the camp."
The boys were heading to their tents during a storm. The families have said they were never told the area was prone to lightning and the Boy Scouts failed to properly train Scout leaders.
A civil lawsuit filed in Fourth District Court says the Camp Health Officer "knew, or should have known, that there was no safe place in the outdoors from lightning."
"Nobody told them where they were supposed to go or what they were supposed to do," said BettyJean Smith, Sean's mother and one of those involved in the suit.
She said her son, who is now 13, suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress.
"It's really hard for him to not be with the person he was literally tied at the hip to," she said.
The mothers hope for better training and safety devices, things that could have prevented her son's untimely death.
"We just want them to improve things," Rayborn said. "We want better, safer camps for the boys."
The Boy Scouts of America has 30 days to respond to the suit. The office told KSL that the spokesperson was out of town and messages were not returned.
