Bowling Green, Va. – About 300 people, most of them Boy Scouts, were sickened by the heat Wednesday while waiting for President Bush to arrive at a memorial service for four Scout leaders who were killed while pitching a tent beneath a power line.
The president’s visit to the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., was postponed because of severe thunderstorms and strong wind.
Instead, Bush is scheduled to visit the gathering today.
But before Bush’s appearance was called off, many Scouts fell ill from temperatures that rose into the upper 90s, made worse by high humidity.
Half of those were treated at the base hospital, about 3 miles from the event arena, and released. Dozens more were sent to other hospitals, where they were in stable condition Wednesday night, said Gregg Shields, a National Scout Jamboree spokesman.
Soldiers carried Boy Scouts on stretchers to the base hospital, and others were airlifted from the event.
Jamboree officials called for emergency help from surrounding areas, and ambulances transported Scouts during the storm, which brought high winds and lightning.
Jamboree spokeswoman Renee Fairrer said she wasn’t sure whether any of the illnesses were serious. Those who fell ill suffered from dehydration, lightheadedness and fatigue, among other symptoms.Hours earlier, Scouts began gathering for the event, passing through security screening to get a place in an open field facing the stage where the president had planned to speak.
Scout leaders distributed water by the caseload, and Scouts were told they could remove their uniform shirts if they had another shirt underneath.
The memorial service had been planned to honor four men who were electrocuted Monday while pitching a dining tent at the Jamboree. On Wednesday, a spokesman said the group had ignored scouting teachings by putting the tent under a power line.
