Falling Trees Blamed for Deaths at BWCA Boy Scouts Camp (UPDATE)

ELY, Minn. (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America say falling trees knocked down by strong winds killed a boy and a woman camping with an adventure program in a northern Minnesota forest.

A statement from the Scouts says the storm came unexpectedly through Charles L Sommers Canoe Base in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness early Thursday. The boy and a volunteer from the Northern Tier High Adventure Base Program were killed. Two other campers were hurt and evacuated to a hospital by Canadian emergency crews, but the Scouts say their injuries are not life-threatening.

The Scouts say they are working with authorities to notify the families of those involved.

Nine people involved in the program were camping at Basswood Lake near the Canadian border, including three adults and six boys, when storms hit the area.

The Scouts will offer grief counseling to their members and volunteers.

_________________________________________________________________________

(previous version)

ELY, Minn. (AP) — A Boy Scouts leader says a boy and a woman died and two other campers were injured when damaging storms slammed northern Minnesota.

John Van Dreese says the boy and the volunteer from the Northern Tier High Adventure Base Program were killed while camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Van Dreese is the general manager of the program which is part of the Boy Scouts of America.

He says nine people involved in the program were camping at Basswood Lake near the Canadian border, including three adults and six boys, when storms hit the area.

He provided no details of how they died.

St. Louis County Lt. Nate Skelton says the injured were evacuated by air. Van Dreese says authorities were working on evacuating the remaining campers.