This is appalling. I agree with most who have already stated their opinions.
Rewind a few decades:
Back in the dark ages, the 1960's they withheld water from us in August, in Football practice. They withheld water in wrestling practice as well. In wrestling they could not only justify it for "toughness" but to shed those last couplr of pounds in water weight.
The military also withheld water regularly, not only in Basic but in other training.
Our society as a whole wasn't as savvy to hydration. I can remember mom's denying kids entry into the house for a drink, so we'd drink from the outdoor hose bib
As time marched on, in large part due to advances in sports medicine and the ability to better monitor and measure health, we discovered just how important hydration was for performance, whether it was an athlete or soldier or regular man on the street.
We wuold hear of those "football" deaths less and less, to the point when we did read of one, and water had been withheld, it was already a forgone conclusion someone was operating in an "old school" mentality.
Go to a high school in late August, to the football feield where they are practicing, you will find water , gatorade, ice and Pop-up shade tents.
Go observe basic training, and you will see water dispensed routinely.
My point here is that our entire society has now been engrained with how important it is to stay hydrated.
It is absolutely ignorant and woefully negligent, no matter what papers were signed, and no matter what was agreed, to watch a man slowly die from dehydration.
No excuse, none. You don't have to be a doctor, or even a Boyscout to see it or know what to do about it.
Their training is flawed if they don't allow the person to carry and use water, period.
Just like you cannot train someone to survive in 32° Ocean water for hours, you cannot train someone to survive without water. period.
I have personally drank from questionable sources, no filter within 20 miles, because I needed water in a bad way. I have seen people in the heat and humidty who should be sweating profusley, go absolutley dry skinned.
Alarm bells should go off!!!
Everyone is different, whether they exhibit dizziness first, or dryness of skin, or unclear thinking, any of these are serious signs, they aren't in the beginning of dehydration......basic thirst is the beginning...these are advanced stages and must be treated with the utmost of seriousness.
The general question, which has been brought up in this forum in the past, is:
What constitutes a survival school instructor? What training? What certification? What education? What background?
It's obvious something was lacking here.
My bet, is, that we are another step closer to some kind of legal certification, which will require completion of coursework, tests passed, and insurances obtained.
Not taking away from those who are doing a good job, but, right now, as it stands, someone can type a nice little background sheet, show their experience and call themselves a "Survival Instructor".
Again, my apoligies to those who act responsibly.
No matter how you stack this one, there is no defense, none.
I thought to myself, what if they were quick thinkers and said, "But But we told him to drink and he refused!"
Still no excuse. They are in control, they are the leaders of the circus.
They would still have to show that they went above and beyond to get him to stop and drink, which, by their own admission, they were far from doing.
This is, by it's presentation, a textbook case of negligence, and even further, stupidity.
