Teens' inexperience blamed for Camp Algonquin drownings

Operator inexperience was the primary cause of the deaths of three Chicago high school students who drowned in November while attempting to paddleboat on the Fox River near Algonquin, according to a report released Tuesday by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The report, however, also indicates that the operators of Camp Algonquin, where the students were staying as part of a school retreat, missed a clue that might have prevented the students from getting access to the boats.

The bodies of Melvin Choice Jr., 17, Jimmie Avant, 18, and Adrian Jones, 16, were pulled from the Fox River the morning of Nov. 14, hours after they and eight classmates attempted to ride paddleboats on the chilly river in the middle of the night.

According to a summary of the DNR report, Jones and Avant drowned while trying to rescue Choice when he jumped into the river's 42-degree water in a futile attempt to swim to shore.

The students were going for a boat ride to mark the end of an eight-day leadership retreat for students from North Lawndale College Prep, a charter high school on Chicago's West Side.

"The students wanted to do something to celebrate; this was their last night at the facility," the report states. "The decision was made to return to the river and take the boats for a joy ride."

The reports indicate Camp Algonquin, operated by the McHenry County YMCA, had obtained the boats only about a month earlier from the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Plugs from the bottom of the boats were removed at the zoo and never replaced when they arrived at Camp Algonquin because they were not intended to be used for the rest of the year, the report states.

Nonetheless, four days before the drownings four students participating in the retreat removed one of the boats from a storage area 135 feet from the water's edge and took turns riding it on the river, according to the report. When they were finished, the students pulled the boat partially on shore.

The next morning, the students found the boat had slipped back into the water and was floating on the other side of the river. They did not tell anyone.

That same day, according to the report, a YMCA employee noticed one of the boats was missing and reported it to agency official Graham Little.

"No further action was taken in reference to the missing boat," the report states.

On the day of the drownings, the report states, the students sneaked out of their dormitory at the camp about 1 a.m. - after their chaperon fell asleep - and made their way to the boats. On the way, they could have seen as many as four signs reading "Danger Riverfront Keep Out."

The report indicates the students had trouble with the boats immediately, but all managed to get to one of the shores safely.

Three of the students stuck on the east side of the river - across from the camp - then attempted to take a boat back to the other side. When the boat began taking on water, the report says, Choice dove head first into the river, hoping to lighten its load.

When he began struggling, Jones and Avant jumped to try to save him. Rescue crews recovered the bodies of all three teens hours later.

Besides operator inexperience, the report also cites hazardous waters, cold weather, clothing and failure to wear personal flotation devices as contributing factors in the drownings.

The McHenry County State's Attorneys's Office was informed of the circumstances and concluded no criminal charges would be pursued, the report states.

However, the families of Avant and Choice are suing the YMCA, North Lawndale College Prep and the retreat's organizers in civil court, claiming their negligence caused the drownings.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=250653">Three teens drown in Fox River boating accident <span class="date">[11/14/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>