Camping Canceled in Wake of Boy’s Death

About 270 sixth-graders from two schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District will not participate in weeklong outdoor science camps. The cancellation came in the wake of the death last week of an 11-year-old boy who slipped while crossing a stream and was swept over a rocky waterfall.

Superintendent James Fleming canceled all remaining trips for the school year while the district investigates the death of Kevin Kelley, a sixth-grader at Woodsboro Elementary School, spokeswoman Karen Bass said. Until the investigation is complete, the superintendent “thought we needed to keep the kids in the district,” Bass said.

Fairmont Elementary School was scheduled to attend Arrowhead Ranch Outdoor Science School, the camp that Kevin’s class attended. Sierra Vista Elementary School had planned to attend the Orange County Department of Education’s outdoor science school.

Spokesmen for both programs said the two schools were the only groups to cancel outdoor science camping trips after the tragedy, which occurred near Green Valley Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Fairmont school instead is planning several other outings for the sixth-graders, said Principal Kathy Linden.

Bass said pupils at both schools are involved in planning activities to replace the outdoor science camp trips.