Thomas Larry, Third Boy Scout Dies In Boating Accident; Family Reacts

An 11-year-old boy scout, Thomas Larry, succumbed to his injuries Monday that he suffered after a boating accident on Lake O’ the Pines in East Texas on Saturday afternoon. Two other boy scouts, who were with Larry in the boat at the time of the accident, died of electrocution at the scene, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), confirmed.

Larry was found unresponsive after a boat carrying the three scouts struck a power line. He was given CPR by a few good samaritans and later taken to a hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was being treated. The two other boy scouts, who died at the scene, were identified as Will Brannon, 17, and Heath Faucheux, 16.

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All three boys were members of a boy scout troop based out of Hallsville, Texas. The accident took place about 150 miles east of Dallas. The scouts were riding a sailboat when the sail collided with an overhead transmission power line. TPWD said the boys "may have been electrocuted as a result."

"This is a tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families," Steve Lightfoot, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife, told the Washington Post.

The TPWD officials probing the incident are trying to figure out how the catamaran struck the power line. Lightfoot mentioned it was too early to say if there were any boating violations involved.

Meanwhile, Larry’s parents responded to his death on a GoFundMe page that was created to help the family with the medical expenses. "Thomas was always wanting to give things and do for others. Well, now he is doing so in a big way. We are donating his organs so that God, through Thomas, can give the gift of life to others. It's what he would have wanted,” his mother said.

“My heart is breaking into so many pieces but I know Thomas is where God wants him, which is with him. Thank you all for the love, prayers, and support."

The Boy Scouts of America’s East Texas Area Council officials have asked the members to provide support during Larry's organ donation, which is scheduled to take place Tuesday at Louisiana State University’s Shreveport Medical Center.

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Dewayne Stephens, the scout executive for the Boy Scouts of America’s East Texas Area Council, said a scouts flag in honor of Larry would be raised, flown and then lowered and finally given to his family as fellow scouts attend the ceremony in uniform, the Washington Post reported.

Kelly Weatherford, a longtime family friend of Larry’s parents, told the Post she spent Saturday night and Sunday morning in Larry's hospital before the news of the 11-year-old's death was announced Monday. She said he was "the funniest, goofiest kid."

"He’s a little comedian," Weatherford said, speaking before Larry's death. "He makes everybody smile. He’s such a cool kid." Before Larry's death, his parents requested everyone to pray for his recovery in a Facebook post.

One of Larry's fifth-grade teachers, Katy Williams, attended a candlelight vigil held Monday night to pay tribute to the scouts. She said teaching Larry was a delight. "Thomas was one of those students that you really want in your class. He was smart. He was well behaved. He was respectful and he just had the perfect amount of goofy-ness that he brought to the table," Williams was quoted as saying by the local news website, abc10.com.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called the accident a "terrible tragedy" in a statement and said his "thoughts and prayers go out to the Boy Scouts and their families."