FREMONT COUNTY, Wyoming — The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints is facing a lawsuit after a 12-year-old boy had his foot cut off while on a boat during a church trip in 2022. The lawsuit alleges the church failed to take proper precautions during church-sponsored activities.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the 12-year-old boy who had his foot severed in a tubing accident, and his 14-year-old brother, who witnessed the incident during an Aspen Park Ward's Young Men group event at Boysen Reservoir in Fremont County, Wyoming.
The names of the victims haven't been released as they are still minors.
During the event, children were being pulled by a speedboat while in an inner tube on the reservoir, as other children, including the 12-year-old boy, were seated at the back of the boat. The driver allegedly told the children to "feed out the rope" connecting the boat to the inner tube.
As the 12-year-old started feeding out the rope, the boat accelerated, causing the coiled rope to wrap around his left foot and sever it below the ankle. The driver immediately cut the boat's engine, which caused it to flood, making it unable to restart and get the group to shore.
The 14-year-old used a windbreaker he was wearing as a tourniquet for his brother's leg and called 9-1-1. The group then used the inner tube to transport the children to shore to receive medical treatment.
Emergency personnel were able to apply a proper tourniquet to the child's leg and airlifted him to a hospital in Casper. The boy was later transferred to a Denver hospital, but doctors were unable to save his left foot.
Lawyers for the plaintiff's claim that since the incident three years ago, the victim has had to undergo multiple surgeries. They allege the church didn't provide training, instruction, or safety guidelines for the group leaders, supervisors, and or mentors.
