Calvert County Sheriff Ricky Cox presented members of Boy Scout Troop 430 with Sheriff’s Salutes this month, honoring the Prince Frederick-based troop for a rescue that likely saved a fellow Scout’s life during a wilderness canoeing expedition in Minnesota this summer.
The troop was roughly 125 miles into a Northern Tier high-adventure trip — a canoe-based backcountry program run out of Ely, Minnesota, that sends Scout crews on multi-day wilderness routes — when a Scout slipped on rocks and was swept into a whirlpool, according to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.
Other Scouts entered the water immediately to help, putting their training to use in a fast-moving emergency. When the Scout lost consciousness, another member of the troop performed resuscitation while adult leaders on the trip followed behind and helped coordinate the broader response. The injured Scout was flown out by seaplane to a local hospital and ultimately returned home with the rest of the troop.
At a ceremony recognizing the group’s actions, Sheriff Cox presented each Scout involved with a Sheriff’s Salute, an honor the department gives to recognize acts of exceptional courage. The Sheriff’s Office credited the troop’s preparedness and training for the outcome, calling the group’s response a reminder of what organized emergency training can do when something goes wrong far from help.
Troop 430 is chartered in Prince Frederick and is one of several Scouting units active in Calvert County. Neither the individual Scouts involved nor the specific date of the Northern Tier expedition were identified in the announcement.
