Family Sues Boy Scouts After Fatal Swimming Accident in New Hampshire

In February of 2025, various sources reported that a family filed suit against Boy Scouts of America for their alleged role in a fatal swimming accident in New Hampshire. The accident claimed the life of an 11-year-old child. This is a clear example of a wrongful death lawsuit in New Hampshire, and it has the potential to provide compensation and justice for the affected family. Parents who have suffered similar tragedies may consider wrongful death lawsuits of their own.

Family Claims Fatal Swimming Accident Was Preventable 

The plaintiffs in this case claim that the loss of their child was preventable, and that Boy Scouts of America contributed to the fatal swimming accident directly. The crux of their argument revolves around an 18-year-old camp counselor who was operating a powerboat at the time of the incident. The plaintiffs say that he was “utterly unqualified” to operate the boat, pointing out that he had received just one hour of training before the fatality. He had also received his boating license ten days prior to the incident.

On the day of the accident, the 11-year-old victim boarded the boat along with seven other Boy Scouts. The 18-year-old counselor then took the boys into the lake, where they went swimming. The victim then left the boat and began swimming in the lake. At some point thereafter, the teen operator of the boat struck the swimming child with the propeller, causing fatal injuries.

The Family Highlights Several Violations of Boy Scouts Rules 

In their lawsuit, the family claims that the Boy Scouts violated many of their own rules before the accident. Perhaps most notably, they pointed to one rule that states an operator of a boat must be at least 21 years old. They also highlighted Scouting America regulations regarding on-duty lifeguards, stationed lookouts, and buddy systems.

This line of argument is often critical in personal injury cases. If a plaintiff can establish that the defendant violated their own written safety policies, courts often interpret this as negligence.

Can a Wrongful Death Lawyer in New Hampshire Help Me? 

A wrongful death lawyer in New Hampshire may be able to help parents who have lost children to preventable accidents. This Boy Scouts lawsuit is still in its beginning stages, and its outcome is not clear. However, the underlying accident was an underlying tragedy, and one has to wonder whether the adults involved could have done more to prevent it. If you have lost a child to a similar situation, consider calling Manning Zimmerman & Oliveira PLLC for more information and guidance.

Sources: 

boston.com/news/local-news/2025/02/04/boy-scout-killed-2023-new-hampshire-boating-accident-lawsuit/

unionleader.com/news/human_interest/family-of-boy-killed-in-2023-boating-accident-in-nh-sues-boy-scouts/article_a66aad5e-e340-11ef-9011-3f5da40a54ae.html