Death of 15-year-old Scout Dominik. Family issues appeal

The funeral of 15-year-old Dominik, who drowned at a scout camp, will take place this Sunday in Witoszów Dolny (Lower Silesian Voivodeship). The boy's family has issued an appeal to the media and those attending the ceremony. The scout was ordered by his troop leader to swim a 500-meter distance on Lake Ośno in Greater Poland in the middle of the night.

The 15-year-old's funeral will take place in his hometown of Witoszów Dolny , near Świdnica. The family of the tragically deceased boy has asked the media to respect the private nature of the funeral and not record it.

SEE: A 15-year-old drowned at a scout camp. A new ZHR statement has been released.

Tragic events occurred on Thursday night at a camp in the town of Wilcze (Greater Poland Voivodeship). A 15-year-old scout drowned in Lake Ośno. Investigators determined that his death was related to an attempt to gain scout proficiency.

Dominik was supposed to swim 500 meters at night. He was wearing full uniform and shoes . Two men were charged with involuntarily causing the 15-year-old's death and exposing him to immediate danger of death or serious bodily harm: a 21-year-old scout leader and a lifeguard two years his junior.

One of them ordered the boy to swim across the lake , and the other allowed this to happen. One of the suspects provided a detailed explanation. Neither pleaded guilty. They face up to five years in prison.

According to the prosecutor's office , Dominik was not properly secured during the attempt to acquire Scout skills, and safety regulations were violated. The prosecutor's office is investigating the origins of this method of improving Scout skills and whether the 15-year-old was the only person to undergo such an attempt. Investigators are also verifying whether Dominik's parents knew their child would be participating in this type of Scout skills acquisition.

SEE: "We bow our heads in sorrow and humility." Letter from the Chairman of the ZHR

The camp in Wilcze was organized by the Lower Silesian District of the ZHR . Seventy-four scouts participated, all over the age of 10. The camp was reported to the education authority and approved in the ZHR's internal system. The staff received training in safety and scout education. The camp participants have already returned home and received psychological support.

On Thursday, immediately after the scout's tragic death , the Poznań Education Authority began an inspection of the camp. ZHR Chairwoman Anna Malinowska announced in a statement issued Saturday that developing skills and completing rank tests are an integral part of the ZHR educational program. She also emphasized that each task should be tailored to the scout's age, abilities, and experience, as well as the camp conditions, while maintaining full supervision and safety measures.

"Actions that endanger the health and lives of scouts are not our standard. Therefore, we are striving for a comprehensive and swift investigation to understand what happened. We do not want a similar tragedy to ever happen again," emphasized Scoutmaster Anna Malinowska.

SEE: Death of 15-Year-Old Scout. Two People Face Charges

She assured that each Scout camp organized by the ZHR is supervised and monitored; it must meet stringent legal requirements and internal procedures. Each year, the ZHR organizes nearly 300 camps, with several thousand participants.

Condolences following the death of the 15-year-old scout were expressed by, among others, Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka, Voivode of Greater Poland Agata Sobczyk, and Mayor of Świdnica Beata Moskal-Słaniewska. The young scout was farewelled by the Second General Secondary School in Świdnica, where he attended. The school wrote on its website that Dominik was a talented, passionate student who, as noted, "had barely begun his high school career and had already impressed us with his knowledge, kind attitude, and dedication to his class and school."