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Camp Victims Still Hospitalized; Storm Power Upgraded

Cleanup Planned At Little Sioux Campground

POSTED: 8:47 am CDT June 13, 2008
UPDATED: 5:07 pm CDT June 13, 2008

Mercy Medical Hospital in Sioux City said Friday that it is now caring for the wife of a campground ranger who was hurt Wednesday.

Tami Dean is in good condition in Sioux City. She was hurt when her home, located on the grounds of the Little Sioux Scout Ranch, collapsed during a tornado Wednesday night. Her husband is the campground ranger. He and their children escaped with minor bumps and bruises.

Four Boy Scouts were killed when the shelter they were taking cover in collapsed.

Weather officials said Friday that the tornado had winds between 136 and 165 mph, rating it an EF-3, or Enhanced Fujita scale 3. The initial estimate was EF-2, so Friday's final ruling upgraded the storm.

Also at Mercy are Thomas Auen, 14, of Sioux City, and Sean West, 16, of Omaha. Both are listed in serious condition. T.J. Claussen, 15, of Adair, and Justin Mueller, 15, of Omaha, are in fair condition.

Eilerts will be memorialized twice next week. Mass will be at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in West Point, followed by burial at Mount Hope Cemetery in West Point. Local visitation will be 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday at Stokely Funeral Home in West Point. Prayer services will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Eagle Grove, Iowa, gymnasium, with visitaion at 2 p.m.

In all, eight Boy Scouts were still hospitalized on Friday morning.

Xavier Olivo, 13, suffered head injuries and broken bones. He was knocked unconscious when the tornado hit, but he said on Friday that he remembers waking up to a fellow Boy Scout putting pressure on his wound.

He said the experience has taught him a lot about life.

"First, respect it. You've only got one life. You don't have multiple chances," Olivo said. "Be thankful for everyone around you. All of their lives are just as important as yours."

Doctors said he may be released from the hospital sometime this weekend.

The Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council said some scouts who had been at the camp have received counseling, but there are more that need to be introduced to counselors.

BSA officials said they hope to have the Little Sioux camp back up and running in a few weeks. They plan to rebuild the section of camp that was hit by Wednesday's tornado.

Josh Fennen, 13; Sam Thomsen, 13; and Ben Petrzilka, 14, all of Omaha were killed, along with Aaron Eilerts, 14, of Eagle Grove, Iowa.

Many have asked the Boy Scouts why there were no storm shelters at the campground. On Friday morning, officials said the idea of storm shelters is a good one, but providing coverage on 1,800 acres of wilderness isn't realistic.

Christian Jones was inside the north shelter when it was destroyed by the tornado. He has a cut on his leg and is suffering from whiplash. He said that as the storm hit on Wednesday, he held onto a table that was against the wall as the tornado passed over them. He said the camp had no weather updates because radar was down in Onawa and Little Sioux.

Jones said sirens at the camp sounded only after the storm cloud was spotted.

"First, I saw the tornado going away. That was pretty scary. I just didn't want it to come back, and then I saw the rubble," Jones said. "I want them to rebuild that cabin and I want it to be a monument to those four."

BSA officials said they do plan a memorial at the campground.

The BSA is looking for volunteers to help clean up the Little Sioux camp, though the days for cleanup have not yet been announced. Call 402-431-9BSA for information.


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